Elusive Prey
by Tomed Ceht
Summary: Aela wasn't called 'the Huntress' for nothing and she upheld the title with great pride. So when a mysterious woman unexpectedly barges into her life, she can't help but begin the hunt. Female Dragonborn/Aela. FEM/FEM. Will contain explicit sexual content in later chapters. You have been warned.
1. Herald of ill tidings

**Hi! Tomed Ceht here, presenting to you my first-ever Skyrim fic. I decided that there weren't _nearly_ enough Aela fanfictions out there, so I decided to take a crack at it! Or fem/fem Aela fics. So enjoy my lovely readers, this is gonna be a long one. Hopefully you'll stick through the whole ride. ****No need to be harsh or gentle with reviews, this isn't my first picnic. Say whats on your mind. I'll either love it or not give a fuck (if its rude, of course)  
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**This story will constantly be going in between First person and Third person. Just because I felt like it. I've never written anything in first person, so don't be an ass if you see something that may be considered third.  
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**And of course, I own nothing. I've got a car, an Xbox, my laptop and a few games. I would happily trade them for ownership of this franchise.**

It was incredibly quiet.

The rustling of the tall grass. The shaking of the leaves in the few trees that dotted the landscape. The crowing of the hawks that soared above.

All of it was silent to me.

I crouched lower behind the giant boulder before me. This was the moment I had been waiting for for days. Several sleepless nights tracking these beasts was about to unfold. I was excited, to say the least. My blood was pumping furiously and my hands were trembling. The thrill of the hunt was what I lived for, it was my life. It was all I knew.

They didn't call me 'the Huntress' for nothing.

I carefully slipped around the boulder. The low morning light was just enough for me to see my prey in the distance, and its crisp air helped sooth my almost-feverish skin. The elk I had been pursuing were many yards away, gathered around a small drinking hole. The largest, my soon-to-be prize, was in the middle of the tiny group. This bull wasn't any prey, however. Normal elk did nothing to catch my attention. _This _bull was a large, proud beast. So large that he could quite possibly begin his own species and possibly the largest of his kind I had ever seen.

So he was in my crosshairs.

In all honesty, I could have taken him down the moment I had laid eyes on him. But, there was no thrill in blind killing. Hunting was an art I had been perfecting my entire life and the pursuit of the prey, without detection, held exhilaration beyond compare. So, what huntress would I be to deny myself such satisfaction?

I licked my lips eagerly, just imagining how his flesh would taste. I grabbed my bow tightly, wiping the crimson hair from my face. This was it. With a skilled hand, I grabbed an arrow from my quiver and knocked into place. The string came back carefully and groaned at the movement. With one eye closed, I took aim. Precise aim takes perfect patience, so I took my time while simultaneously studying the wind. It was slightly breezy today, and that would make all the difference. I adjusted to the calculations accordingly.

Just as I was about to fire, a tremendous roar shook the Earth. Startled, my grip slipped and the arrow flew. However, the elk were already on the run and it buried itself within the ground.

"Shit!" I grumbled, slamming my body flat against the boulder. Whatever had made that roar was no Saber Cat. There was another, louder and… above? I looked up questioningly. What I saw made my heart skip a beat.

_A dragon…_

Black as the night, the winged beast flew straight over me with an unnatural speed. Even as I watched its tail slink past, I stayed perfectly still, hoping and praying that it would not fly around for a second look. Another roar loosed from it, distant and weak. Minutes passed. Then there was another, barely audible in the far distance. Minutes more crawled by and still I kept myself ridged against the cold stone.

Finally, I mustered the courage to peel myself off the boulder, tentatively stepping into the open plain. I peeked over the rock in the direction it had been heading and saw nothing but mountains and the few clouds that swirled around them. I quickly spun, scanning the skies. Empty.

I fell to my knees painfully, letting out the breath I didn't know I was holding. A shaky hand found its way to the back of my neck, caressing it tenderly. What just happened? Was that really a dragon? I looked up again. My stomach let out a hefty growl and another found its way to my throat. Perhaps it was only my hunger playing tricks on me.

No, that seemed far too real.

Ever since I was a child, I had been told the legends and stories of the great dragons. Of the destruction and fear they had instilled into the lives of the Nords who lived to witness them. They were legend, nothing more. I shook my head roughly, letting my hand drop limply by my side. Dragons have been extinct for Eras, if they ever did truly exist. So what did I see just now?

I had seen many strange and unnatural things in my life. Daedric Princes being summoned to their worshippers. The tree-like beings know as Spriggans whom guarded the forests. The cunning Wispmothers, controlling their young to protect themselves. The half woman, half bird Hagravens that lurked in the caves of Skyrim, waiting for unwilling prey. Vampires prowling the night, searching for their next meal. Even I was a child of the moon and sister to the wolf.

But somehow, the concept of dragons being real was too farfetched for me to comprehend.

My stomach let out another painful rumble, directing my attention back to the matter at hand. My lunch. I pivoted on my feet, looking in the direction of where the elk once stood. The area was clear, as I had expected. With a hiss I stood, sliding my bow carefully into its holster and taking off at a full sprint. After days of tracking down the elk, I made a quick decision. Prize be damned, I was not going to come out empty handed. I was _not_ going to go hungry today. Not again.

A wild pleasure coursed through me as I called upon my beast blood, willing the spirit of the wolf within me to come forth. My teeth began to elongate and fur sprouted quickly across my body. I felt the first effects of the transformation and pumped my arms harder. My jaw snapped and began to grow. My vision began to shift to a more bluish tint.

I ran faster.

Bones began to snap and shift to accommodate my new form. Some melded together and some grew longer, sinew and tendons crackling as they, too, adjusted. My ears twitched as they found a new size. With a great ease, I began to run on all fours without breaking stride. I had had my wolf form for so long that transforming while running had become a second nature. There was no need to stop.

The metamorphosis completed with a long, bushy tail and sharp claws and ended as quickly as it had begun. I parted my muzzle slightly, filling my lungs with the sweet morning air. The elk could not have gotten too far ahead and with the great loping strides of a werewolf now on my side; catching up to them would be no problem. There were few beasts in the land that could possibly hope to outrun me.

I sniffed a few times. Their scent flowed through my powerful nose, and I knew I was getting close. I could smell the fear. The anxiety. It made my hunger even more powerful.

My paws slammed into the soft Earth harder as I quickened my pace.

I came over a hill with blinding speed, spotting my meal. The bull was running away from the bulk of the herd, which made him an easier target. My vision danced as a feral urge pulsed within my gut. I allowed a roar to ripple from my throat, alerting them. There was a chorus of alarmed whinnies and grunts from them. The cows made a sharp left, abandoning the bull without a second thought. I bared my teeth in glee; this hunt could not have been going better in my favor now.

The now lone bull sprinted faster, but I was closing in on him. There was no escape for him now. He let out a terrified wail, and I leapt.

My claws sunk deep into his hind haunches, ripping him down into a tumble with him clutched to my chest. He bleated horrifically as we rolled to a stop. In panic, the elk kicked at me in an attempt to free himself. A sadistic snarl escaped me as I tore at his legs, shredding them.

His cries in pain became silent to me as I stared down upon him. I licked my lips, ridding my muzzle of the saliva that was dripping freely from them. The primal need for fresh, raw meat was overwhelming. There was no need to wait, and I was raised properly.

Mother always said not to play with your food.

I took one last look at his horrified face, his black beady eyes gleaming with fear. A ravenous growl escaped me and I sunk my fangs deep into his neck. Hot, sticky blood gushed into my mouth and I bit harder, savoring the intoxicating taste of his life liquid. There was one last gurgle and squirm, then he lay still. I allowed myself to drink a little more before leaning back on my haunches. I licked the delectable liquid from my fangs before staring at his plump belly. My own stomach growled once more.

I ripped into his flesh madly; finally able to satisfy what felt to be an age-old hunger.

* * *

The club swung at her with an alarming speed.

She rolled to the side, barely missing the heavy wood. The giant wielding the club snarled in frustration, raising it above his head once more. Aela saw this and drew her dagger swiftly, closing the short distance between them. Her steel plunged deep into its belly, eliciting a pained grunt from the monster. His face twisted with rage, preparing the heavy weapon for another attack. The club fell once more and she ducked around him with ease.

The huntress swiped his left calf deeply, sending him down on one knee. The giant let out another roar, swinging his club blindly behind him.

She wasn't so lucky to dodge it this time.

Aela crashed painfully into the stone fence surrounding the small farm, knocking the wind out of her. She slid to the cold ground on her side, unable to move her stunned and breathless body.

"Aela!" a voice called to her in horror, distorted and muffled. She numbly rolled onto her back in her stupor, ignoring the faint cry. Her vision was blurry and she blinked furiously to clear the haze. But, no matter how hard she tried, the sparks before her would not fade. Nor could she breathe. Only after a few meticulous attempts to breathe, Aela began to panic, furiously attempting to draw in a breath of precious oxygen. A strangled gasp escaped her finally, filling her lungs with the sweet afternoon air. However, the small victory was short lived.

The woman quickly rolled to her side once more, heaving as crimson liquid spilled from her lips. She propped herself on one elbow, swaying as the coughing fit racked her supple form. Her vision had slightly returned to her, but the huntress did not need to have her entire ability to be unnerved by the amount of blood she blurrily saw before her.

_Well, that's not good…_

Aela wiped her lips with the back of a shaky hand, slowly becoming aware of the horrible pain within her torso. Everything ached terribly. She slid back down to her side with a muffled groan, rolling to her back once more as the initial shock began to slip away and extent of her injuries made themselves known. That damn giant had done some serious damage. Definitely a few broken ribs. And a punctured lung? Perhaps. That would explain the blood she was coughing up. Or was she vomiting? Aela closed her eyes slowly. The excruciating pain was making it difficult to think clearly. She let out a ragged sigh; maybe it was best just to rest. After all, she was tired… so tired…

"Aela!" the voice from earlier repeated again. It was so familiar, so distant…

"Aela! By Talos, Aela, get up!" her eyes shot open as she was shaken lightly, shooting indescribable pain through her damaged body. Farkas was crouched beside her, worry etched deep into his scarred face. He turned his head sharply over his shoulder. "Ria, get a healer!" He whipped his head back to the wounded woman before him. Ria yelled something back to him, but Aela couldn't make it out. She squinted as her vision danced, trying to keep the man's face in view. Her eyelids felt heavy and she allowed them to droop.

"Dammit Aela! Stay with me, you know better than that. Stay awake or Sovengaurd take you!" Farkas growled, giving her shoulders a firm squeeze. The huntress's eyes cracked back open with a moan. She didn't want to stay awake anymore… but he was right. If she slept with injuries this serious, there was a great possibility she would not wake again. She watched his hazy torso turn again. "Ria! By the Gods! Stop standing there and get a damned healer!"

"Let me tend to her," an unfamiliar voice said. Her brows furrowed as another blurred figure crouched beside her. It removed a gauntlet and Farkas moved aside, allowing the stranger to aid his fallen Shield-Sister. Aela gasped in surprise as a bright orange light erupted from their palm beside her head. She panicked once more in her delirious state, thinking the person was simply going to kill her.

But, the light was soothing. Gentle waves of heat caressed torso and coaxed her broken body to mend. She felt the broken bones slowly and painlessly fit back into their proper places and seal themselves back together. Aela let out another moan and shut her eyes once again. The feeling was… intoxicating.

The stranger slowly moved to her chest, and then to the side of her head, the light carefully balanced in their palm. The warmth soothed her into reason, her thoughts becoming clear once again. Aela breathed deeply, savoring the pain-free swell of her lungs. The healing sensation vanished and a warm, gentle hand cupped her cheek.

"Are you alright?" A concerned voice quietly met her ears. It was female. Aela opened her eyes once more to find her sight had fully returned to her.

And a lovely sight she saw, indeed.

Knelt before her was a Nord woman, looking barely over twenty. Her face was smooth with flawless, pale skin and a slightly pointed chin. Her jaw line was sharp and sculpted beautifully, accenting her in all the right ways. Even her nose was pointed and a modest size, fitting her face perfectly. And her eyes. Oh, her eyes. A chilling, yet indescribably beautiful shade of green, one purer than any Aela had ever seen. Complementing her Divines' sculpted face were long locks of pitch-black hair that cascaded gorgeously past her shoulders. It was so long that as she knelt beside Aela, the tips brushed against the huntress's slightly exposed stomach. What intrigued her most was that, unlike most Nords, she bore no war-paint. Her own silver eyes locked into the concerned green ones of this Goddess.

For once in her life, Aela was completely speechless.

She nodded, unable to trust her voice at the moment. The woman let out a sigh in relief and removed her hand, propping her elbow onto her knee. "You're quite lucky I was able to heal you, a few minutes more and you may have been with the Gods." She stated simply, a hint of worry subtly lingering in her soft voice. "Is there anything I missed?"

"No, I'm fine," Aela finally found her voice, which was husky from disuse, and sat up. She looked down as she ran a hand through her crimson hair, finding it was caked with blood. A frown crossed her face. With the pains from her torso, she had not even noticed a head injury. Dropping her hand, she looked back to the stranger. "You have my thanks." The huntress looked at her more carefully, noticing she was wearing a simple set of iron armor that hung off of her slightly and was dented terribly. It was obviously not crafted for her frame and from the looks of it, she had probably scavenged it off the corpse of a bandit. Aela scanned her a bit longer, then her eyes widened suddenly in surprise as she remembered the fight. "The giant!"

Farkas let out a small chuckle. "This lass took care of him for us. Shot him right in the neck after he struck you. Damn fine with a bow if you ask me, she was standing from the road!" He praised her, elbowing the woman lightly. Her cheeks turned a light pink at the attention.

Aela looked past them to the giant, who was lying on his back only a few feet away. It was motionless, two arrows protruding from its thick neck. The huntress then looked to the road, which was a good fifty or so feet from where they sat. She turned her gaze back to the woman.

"That must have been an impressive shot. Perhaps you would like to join the Companions? We are always looking for warriors with skill such as yours," she said with a smile, hoping the mysterious woman would not decline the offer. She returned the smile.

"That I may. Though, I must deliver a message to the Jarl," the woman stood, extending a hand to her. Aela grasped it firmly, shocked when she yanked her to her feet with a surprising strength. The black haired woman rolled her shoulders, her armor clanking lightly as it scraped together. "If all goes well, maybe I'll see you in Jorrvaskr," she said with a knowing smile while slipping her gauntlet back on.

'_At least she's not ignorant. The Companions' glory does not reach the ears of most Nords anymore.'_ Aela mused to herself. Many travelers who came through Whiterun as of late had been completely ignorant of the Companions. The huntress had shrugged it off, however. She was not in the order for glory or honor, nor just because her female lineage had deep ties with them. No, she was with them for the hunt and for the gift that had been bestowed upon her. She allowed herself a wolfish grin.

The woman took a step back, preparing to leave. "I wish you well in your battles. Fight well," She clasped her right fist over her heart and gave them both a small bow, then turned to leave. The Shield-Siblings watched her make her way out of the small farm.

"Wait a moment," Aela called after her, taking a step forward. She stopped and turned, attention back on Aela. "Who are you?" she bit her lip, the question coming out far more childish than she would have liked. She could see a faint smile grace the distant woman's lips.

"Selene," she called back, silently turning and continuing up the road towards the city. The huntress simply watched her go, until Farkas made himself known once more.

"Common Aela, we should find Ria and let her know you're ok," he commented in his deep, scratchy voice. She nodded to him and they slowly made their way back into the bowels of the city.

* * *

Aela slumped lower into her chair. The old wood creaked in protest at the shift, but she paid it no mind. She was sitting in her usual spot in the grand mead hall of Jorrvaskr, watching her Shield-Siblings bustle about, drink, and gossip. Most of them were crouched behind their mugs of mead, talking of the black haired stranger that had delivered a horrifying message to the Jarl not even an hour before.

A dragon had attacked Helgen, and the entire town was completely destroyed.

And as the rumor stated, the dragon had been as black as the abyss. Her silver eyes lingered to her tankard on the table before grasping it firmly and taking a hefty swig. The news was extremely unsettling. That meant that what she had seen that very morning truly was a dragon. And that she had seen it before it had turned the unsuspecting town into a smoking pile of rubble. She shook her head. There was no way of knowing that it was going to attack Helgen, nor was there any way she could have warned anyone. People would have thought she was crazy if she _had_ found a way to deliver some kind of message.

She gripped the tankard tightly as she thought of the truly strange day. First a dragon, then nearly getting killed by a giant.

Then the stranger showed up. Selene.

The fact that, with all of her hunting and combat experience, she had nearly been killed by a damn giant was embarrassing. Extremely embarrassing. But then she was saved by that captivating woman. She had put quite a bit of mead into herself already, but her foggy thoughts kept returning to the Nord.

It wasn't like her.

Now, it wasn't the fact that she was a woman. Aela admired strength and prowess where it was obviously present, male or female. And same-sex couples were not frowned upon in Skyrim in the least bit. It was just that she seemed to have… something about her. Something more. The huntress couldn't put her finger on it, but it intrigued her. She wouldn't call it a crush either, just a small fascination. She sighed into her cup as she took another drink. It didn't really matter. She was likely never going to see Selene again. She had heard a few whispers that the woman had left Whiterun as quickly as she had arrived.

Her eyes lazily drifted upwards, to the opposite side of the mead hall, towards a large clamor. There Athis, the only Dark Elf within the order, and Njada Stonearm had begun yet another drunken brawl. A disgusted frown tugged at her lips and she furrowed her brow. The pair was constantly fighting over trivial things and Aela was beginning to think she should just kill one of them. The scraps were entertaining at first, but they quickly became an every day activity for the two. Thus annoying as hell to the huntress. The crimson haired woman snorted as she heard the cheers and confident bets of her fellow Companions. She glanced around the large 'U' shaped table to find it empty. She snorted again, everyone was watching the fools fight. Even Skjor, whom she respected highly as a near father figure and one of the most level-headed people within the order, was propped lazily against a support beam with a mug of mead and cheering them on.

She went to take another drink, but as the cold metal touched her lips, she was met with only a few droplets of bitter liquid. With a sigh, she stood and swayed a little. At least it was a good excuse to get away from the ruckus. Aela regained her balance quickly, dragging her feet down the stairs and into the living quarters. She shut the door, which was already open, quietly behind her. Not that it made a difference; the booming voices of her Shield-Siblings permeated the thick wooden walls with ease. Finding peace would likely mean leaving Jorrvaskr for a while until everyone passed out.

The huntress shuffled down the corridor slowly, taking her sweet ass time reaching her quarters. There were several tables lining the hallway covered in meats, cheeses, vegetables, and most importantly, mead. Aela stopped abruptly in front of one of the tables, carefully setting down her tankard on the edge and grabbing a few bottles of the untouched alcohol. An unsure frown worked its way onto her face. She was holding three bottles, but there were so many more on the table. She was, by most standards, a little tipsy. Should she go ahead and get plastered? Three bottles wouldn't cover that. What to do…

Fuck it.

She grabbed an arm load of the mead and a jug of Alto wine for good measure. With a satisfied smirk, she made her way to her private bedchambers.


	2. Assault on Whiterun

**Hello all! Welcome to the second chapter. I had a lot of fun writing this one, oh let me tell you! I got drunk and everything to help get Aela's 'drunk talk' down. XD lol that was great. Anyway, this is a VERY long chapter, so get some popcorn and a nice tall soda, you might be here for a while ;).  
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**As always, enjoy! Be sure to take the time to R/R. All comments will help donate towards me getting my car fixed. Seriously. For reals... .  
**

Aela shifted uneasily as a cold breeze blew past her, sending chills up her spine.

She tilted her head to the sky, staring at the moons that lingered above. So close that the huntress felt if she were to reach high enough, she may be able to touch them. But she knew that was a fool's wish. A drunken smile crossed her lips. Perhaps with the wings of a dragon, she could soar to the heavens and see the mysteries beyond that of mortal Nirn.

Her smile faded as she looked down. That too, was a fool's desire. Aela shuffled her body to ease her numbing bottom and hugged her scantly clothed body as another gust of wind brushed by. The woman was atop Jorrvaskr in the dead of night. How she had gotten there… well, she wasn't quite sure herself. She allowed herself a bitter laugh. After downing _several_ bottles of mead and arguing vehemently with Vilkas about the origins of Mudcrabs, she had found herself here. Drunk out of her mind and on the roof. The _very_ _steep_ roof.

Probably not a very good location for the state she was in, but Aela didn't care.

She grabbed her bottle of mead and slid carefully to be parallel with the support beam she was perched upon and leaned back. With a satisfied sigh, Aela tucked one hand behind her head and balanced the bottle on her stomach with the other. The huntress sprawled her legs to give her more support and shut her eyes, allowing her mind to roam.

Her mind inevitably perused topics she normally thought of when she was drunk. Her scattered childhood, her parents, her days in the Companions, and a few glorious hunts she had had the pleasure to partake in. Though, they quickly turned to a fascination she had recently developed.

Selene.

It had been months since she had met the black haired Nord and the woman had saved her life. But, rumors of Selene were quickly spreading across Skyrim. That she was assisting citizens across the map, was possibly affiliated with the infamous Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood, had been attending classes at the College of Winterhold, and the most interesting of all, was that she was the legendary Dragonborn.

It bothered her that, with all the associations Selene apparently now had, the woman had not even set a foot near Jorrvaskr. Maybe she had no interest in joining the Companions. Maybe Aela was just being selfish in her desire to see her again. To see her gentle face and those captivating eyes. To feel those soft hands caress her body…

Aela sat up abruptly, wobbling as she regained her balance. "What is wrong with me?" she whispered, running a hand down her face. The crimson haired woman sighed, hugging her body as yet another gust of wind chilled her. She stared at the alcohol in her hand sternly before taking a heavy swig. Drunk as hell or not, there was never enough mead coursing through her to take away such thoughts.

She let out another sigh, slowly slumping back against the cold timber. Why was she so engrossed with this woman? Perhaps it was because she had saved her life. Perhaps it was because she was more beautiful than Mara herself. She didn't know. The huntress involuntarily shook her head. She needed to stop thinking about her; nothing would come of it. She had only met the woman once, so why did she already have such a strong hold on her?

"This is insane," she hissed, chugging the remaining half of her drink. The last of the sour liquid oozed down her throat roughly, nearly making her gag. But, she managed to get the drink down without consequence, gaining a pleased grunt. The drunker, the better. She tossed the empty bottle carelessly off the roof, unfazed by the shattering that erupted from below. The woman leaned forward shakily; grabbing a second bottle she had brought with her and uncorked it.

Aela dizzily looked towards her waist, thinking of recent developments in her character. And frankly, none of it made sense to the huntress. Why was she so captivated by this stranger? Selene had nothing to do with her. They had only met a single time for Gods' sake! She shook her head again. Thinking of it was getting her nowhere and she was sick of coming to the same conclusion over and over again. Might as well just deal with it.

The woman chugged a good deal of her fresh mead, setting the bottle between her legs and leaning back once more. She shut her eyes as her thoughts began to roam again. Aela sighed, the minutes racing by as she laid there. Her body began to relax, sleep threatening to take over. The huntress shrugged half-heartedly, she didn't really care if she fell asleep up here.

She slowly cracked open her eyes when she heard a large clamor. Curiously cocking her head towards The Wind District square and sitting up slowly, she saw a guard running frantically towards Jorrvaskr. Aela was immediately interested as she spotted Kodlak heatedly conversing with the guard.

'_What is going on?' _She wondered as she watched the guard run off and the Harbinger bustle inside. The scraping of metal and frantic shouts within Jorrvaskr further caught her attention and she strained her fogged ears. She had gotten a lot drunker in the few minutes she had had her eyes closed and the mead was making it extremely difficult to hear anything clearly, so it was all a jumbled mess to her. She frowned, looking at her precariously angled feet.

"Wutever it ish, tey can take care'uv it," she mumbled drunkenly with a shrug, completely unaware of the horrible slurring in her voice. She grabbed her mead and the bottle met her lips before she rested herself against the wood once again. She let her arm dangle limply beside her while somehow keeping her grip on the alcohol.

"AELA!" a voice cried to her from below. Her frown returned. Who the hell was that? "Aela! By Hircine, where are you?!" She let out a small chuckle. There was only one person she knew that would say that.

Skjor.

The huntress tilted her head to the training yard where Skjor was standing, looking around frantically for her. Aela sat up again, twisting her body to face him and swaying uneasily. All this leaning up and down business was making her head spin more than she would have liked. He called out for her again and she stood, balanced dangerously on the thin support beam.

"Skeeor!" she yelled to him, waving an arm to catch his attention. If she wasn't so drunk, she might have been able to see his eyes widen in fear.

"Aela! What in the name of Oblivion are you doing up there?!" he ran towards Jorrvaskr, stopping just below the curved roof. A large grin crept across her face.

"Dunno bruther!" Aela laughed, stumbling hazardously towards the Gargoyle closest to her. She heard him gasp as she nearly slipped, thankfully close enough to the statue to grab hold of it. The huntress slumped against the wooden figure and looked down to Skjor again, who appeared to have a hand on his face. "Eef I did… I'd a tell you!" She took another swig of mead.

"Well you should find out fast. There's a large group of bandits just outside the gates and you need to get down from there!" He screamed at her, clearly frustrated and anxious. Aela stuck her tongue out at him.

"Whell thash not my probrem! I am drunk an clearee not fit fer battle!" She laughed. The man below her let out a growl.

"Yes it is, Aela! It is our duty…" he began before she yelled over him.

"Ower dooty to assisht da citerzends of tha hold ash bawond by honor an blood. I've herd tha pitcher before. Blah blar blar." The huntress hugged the giant wooden hawk, looking past its wing and down to the Underforge below her. Her vision danced and stomach churned as she leaned against it, swallowing heavily. Why was she up here again? She let out an involuntary shiver as she studied the distance between her and the ground. Being atop a rather large building didn't seem like such a great idea anymore.

"For fuck's sake woman! Listen to me!" Skjor roared from below. Had he been talking? Aela tilted her head towards her Shield Brother. "You have got to get off the damned roof! We can't waste any more time squabbling like children!" He hopped from one foot to the other impatiently. The huntress knitted her eyebrows together. What were they fighting about again?

Skjor loosed another growl as he watched his overly intoxicated friend sway precariously from her perch. _'This was a bad night for her to get so out of hand…' _he mused. He had to get her down from the roof somehow. Time was fading fast and the members of the Circle were bound by their oaths to be on the forefront of battle… which included Aela. Inebriated or not. With his one good eye, he frantically scanned the ship-like part of the roof on which Aela stood, looking for a place where she could possibly get down from. The building was far too steep on all sides for any kind of safe climb. _'How in the world did she get up there?' _He wondered for the umpteenth time as he stood there. The back door of the mead hall crashed open and Vilkas barreled out, running straight at him. The younger man stopped before Skjor, glaring at him.

"What are you doing just standing there? We need to find Aela!" Vilkas barked, huffing to catch his breath. The bald man glared back, baring his teeth.

"I already did, whelp," he shot back, extending an arm to point to where Aela stood. He watched as the young werewolf angrily darted his eyes to the roof and his face fell in horror.

"Shor's beard! What is she doing up there?" he gasped.

"Not a clue. We need to get her down, quick. The bandits could be beating at the bloody gates already." Skjor grunted back, turning his head to the woman above them. He scanned the building again and let out a silent sigh in relief, seeing a possible way down.

"Aela!" he roared. The huntress, whom was carefully studying the wooden statue she was leaned upon, turned her head and waved at him. She lifted her bottle in a mock salute, taking a sip and prompting a small frown from him. She didn't need to be drinking anymore.

"Skeeor! What arr you doin owt here?" she slurred back to him. The men looked at each other with equally displeased expressions.

"She's so drunk she doesn't remember talking to me," the older Companion mumbled, crossing his arms. Vilkas looked at him, dumbfounded. "I found a way for you to get down." He shouted up at her. Aela glared at him in response.

"Wut? Whai?" He slapped his face again, frustration building madly within him.

"I swear I'm going to strangle her," Skjor growled behind his hand, slowly dragging it off his face. Vilkas chuckled lightly at his remark, gaining an idea of his own.

"Why would you want to stay up there sister? And miss out on the glorious hunt we're about to embark on?" The black haired man yelled up the huntress. She immediately stood as straight as she could, completely interested.

Bingo.

Skjor smiled at the ingenuity of the younger man before taking over. "Now, see that?" He pointed to where the ship-like build of the roof and the normal, straight part met. "I need you to climb over there as carefully as you can and slide down. Do you understand?" She nodded, already on her way towards the designated area. Vilkas gripped the neck of his armor in anticipation. "Be careful, Aela!" he added as she cautiously lowered herself to the conjoined area of the roof.

The men watched as she sidled on her bottom down the ceiling, ever so slowly reaching the edge. Aela stopped abruptly, her feet catching the edge. Skjor shut his eyes; he knew where this was going. There was a gasp from Vilkas and a strangled scream from the huntress. Aela flailed her arms wildly as she fell through the air.

And landed flat on her face.

She miraculously missed the few boulders just underneath the edge of the roof. Skjor opened his eyes to see Vilkas dashing over to their fallen Shield Sister. She let out a groan, rolling onto her back.

"Are you alright?" Vilkas whispered as he touched her arm lightly, scanning her for any visible injuries. They locked eyes and she smirked, giggling uncontrollably.

Well, at least she was ok.

A rough hand grabbed the collar his armor and wrenched him to his feet. The young Companion looked over his shoulder to see Skjor moving forward to Aela. He pulled the giggling woman to her feet, turning his gaze back to him.

"Grab her shield; we can't waste any more time. I'm sure everyone else has left." He grunted, wrapping a firm arm around her shoulders to keep her steady. Vilkas shot him a look of disbelief.

"You can't possibly mean to send her to battle! That's suicide!" he hissed, glaring intensely at the older man before him.

"I've fought in worse condition, and so has she. We need all the arms we can if the numbers the guard reported are true," he stated calmly, unfazed by the other man's seething stare.

"She cannot fight like this! We can take care of a few measly bandits on our own, its not worth risking her life over!" he yelped as the man grabbed the collar of his armor once more, dragging him to be face to face with him.

"Go get her shield. We need to leave. Now." Skjor said through gritted teeth, shoving Vilkas back with his powerful arm. They glared at each other, both refusing to move. "Now!" he barked and the young werewolf flinched. He let out a defeated sigh, trudging towards the doors of the mead hall.

Aela had finally collected herself, tilting her head to give Skjor a confused stare. "Fite? Bandis? Wha?" He sighed, rummaging his free hand in one of the pouches on his belt. He fished out a small pink vial, thrusting it into her face.

"It's not much, but it should help some. Drink." He dropped the vial into her hands as she reached for it and released her. She twisted her face in confusion before shrugging, uncorking the tiny vial and gulping down the few mouthfuls of liquid it contained.

Aela sputtered, dropping the empty flask onto the ground as a strange sensation overwhelmed her. A fire burned in her belly, sending an extremely unpleasant warmth through her limbs. The huntress doubled over scratching frantically at her throat, searing as if she had swallowed a fistful of coals from the Skyforge. Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to pour over as the strange potion took its toll on her.

And suddenly, it stopped.

Skjor crossed his arms with an amused grunt as she stood upright, glaring at him. What did he just give her?

"Feel better?" he asked with a grin, which made her even angrier. But then she realized she could see a little straighter and her thoughts were more clear. Her eyebrows rose in surprise.

"What was that?" She asked, stumbling slightly. Well, she was still drunk, but not nearly as bad as she had been mere seconds ago. The man smiled at her.

"A healing potion. I find it takes the edge off of inebriation quiet well. You may still be drunk, but it helps," he winked at her, turning his back to her as Vilkas returned. He still wore his displeased glare as he approached with Aela's shield in hand. He extended it to her, keeping an uneasy eye on Skjor. She took it gratefully, quickly sliding her left arm through the leather straps and fastening them, gripping the steel handhold tightly. She looked at the two men glowering at each other before clearing her throat loudly.

"Now, what's going on exactly?" They both looked at her, straightening themselves.

"Bandits, lots of them. We have to get moving." Skjor explained, annoyance dripping from his voice. She swallowed sheepishly, faintly tasting the foul potion she had taken. From the condition she was in earlier, he had probably explained this quite a few times. She cleared her throat again, scrubbing at some of the war paint on her chin.

"Let's not waste anymore time," she said simply, turning and taking a few shaky steps towards the path. She quickly evened out her stride, fighting the strong sense of vertigo due to the alcohol still coursing madly through her. The huntress heard the men exchange a few heated words, then the clanking of armor and heavy footfalls as they followed. Aela picked up the pace. They were needed and they had already wasted too much time dealing with her drunken ass.

"I still don't think she's fit for this," Vilkas whispered behind her and Skjor let out a throaty growl.

"She's fine you idiot. Aela is a strong Nord woman. A little mead isn't going to slow her down."

"She fell off the damn roof!"

"Does it look like she's stumbling to you? Was she tripping over her words when she spoke last?" There was a short pause and a huff from one of the men, "No? Then stop worrying about her. Worry about your own ass, whelp."

The rest of their conversation was lost to Aela among the shouting as they turned into The Plains District. The marketplace was in chaos as people ran frantically around. Women were screaming, some crying out for their children and others brandishing weapons and fighting with their husbands; possibly arguing to them that they were just as able to fight as the men. Some men were fastening armor as they ran from their homes toward the gates, one tripping over himself as he attempted to pull on his boots. A few stray guards were yelling at the citizens, no doubt trying to tell them to get into their homes and the situation was to be left to the city guard and the warriors of Jorrvaskr. Overall, no one seemed to be listening to anyone else.

As the Shield Siblings reached the bottom of the stairs, Aela led the way as they shouldered past the terrified citizens. Due to her intoxication, the panic was nothing but a dull, blurry roar in her sensitive ears. For that, she was grateful. The huntress had always been strangely unnerved by the horrified screams of the innocents when danger lurked.

They finally fought their way through the crowd just past The Drunken Huntsman. At least half of the city guards and a few citizens were standing in front of the gate, weapons drawn. The Companions were among them holding their own weapons, crowded behind Kodlak and Farkas who were at the head of the group. As they drew closer, she could hear a loud thumping resonating from the large egress and noticed several guardsmen leaning their backs against it. With a bit of shock, she saw the large wooden log that acted as the door bar was broken in two, laying uselessly at their feet as well as a few motionless bodies. A large gaping hole was in the center of the double doors and the woman could see the flickering of torchlight on the other side.

Aela hurried to Kodlak, drawing her dagger on instinct. The old man smiled to them as they approached. "Ah, I'm glad to see they found you, sister. You arrive not a moment too soon; the battle here goes ill. They have broken through twice and a few men have lost their lives already." He looked between the three of them with a grim expression. "We seem to have quite the fight before us. These bandits are more aptly equipped than we could ever have anticipated," his eyes shot to the gates as the doors surged forward, allowing a gap large enough for them to see the enraged faces of the bandits before they were slammed shut once more.

Aela shifted her weight on her back foot as her head spun madly. The gate was slammed against rhythmically like an unpleasant metronome. She swore inwardly. Why did this have to happen when she was piss-drunk?

They stood there tensely as the minutes crawled by, gripping their weapons tightly as the bandits continued to assault the doors. Aela twisted her dagger impatiently in her palm, wishing she had a slightly larger weapon or her bow. She began to notice the door jolted less and less with each attack and realized that the bandits were more than likely getting fatigued. A triumphant smile crossed her lips. Farkas pushed his way to be standing side by side with her, lowering his great sword slowly. He planted the end of the weapon in the ground and leaned on it, looking to the huntress.

"Looks like they can't keep this up much longer," He whispered to her with a grin. He wobbled slightly on his crutch, spreading his feet for better balance. "I hope they give up soon, I have a cask of mead that's half empty with my name on it." Aela let out a laugh; at least she wasn't the only one that had had a bit much to drink. A few curious stares from the other Circle members glanced their way, but the two paid them no mind. Farkas may have been a simple minded brute who only cared for the blooding of his blade and good mead, but Aela and he had always had a close-knit friendship.

Their laughter died out as the assault of the bandits suddenly stopped and everything grew quiet. The men pushing against the giant double doors kept themselves plastered against the breaking wood, afraid to move. Aela looked to the hole in the doors, revealing nothing. It may have been rather large, but it was too high to see through from her angle. The silence crept on as the warriors and guards held their breath, waiting for the next attempt to break through.

Nothing.

A few more minutes passed and they began to relax, lowering the weapons tentatively. A few young soldiers let out triumphant cheers and boasts, while the seasoned warriors kept a weary eye on the gate. Whoever these outlaws were, they would have not come so readily prepared to give up so easily. Aela allowed herself to relax a little, propping an elbow on Farkas' shoulder. He shot her a knowing grin as she stumbled a little.

After several minutes of relative silence, a strange smell permeated the air. Aela whipped her head around, taking her arm off Farkas. Though she was sure her senses were incredibly dulled at the moment, no one else seemed to smell it. Her eyebrows lowered angrily as she sniffed, catching the attention of the other Circle members. Her eyes widened in fear as she suddenly determined the putrid smell. Smoke.

"Fire!" the huntress cried, causing everyone to look around, confused. Her fellow werewolf brethren bared their teeth as they, too, caught the scent. Her eyes landed on the looming double doors where a thin line of smoke was winding out of the hole. '_The bastards set the gates on fire!'_ The men pushing against the entryway flung themselves off the doors, scanning the timber for flames.

A guard slowly peeked through the opening, looking around for the source. There were a few gasps as he lurched backwards and fell to the ground with an arrow protruding from his mouth. Aela growled, gripping her shield and weapon tightly.

"The cowards!" Vilkas hissed, his arms shaking with the strength of his grip on his sword. Kodlak placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Easy, brother. Do not let their cowardice cloud your mind and judgment." The old man said calmly and removed his hand. Vilkas gritted his teeth, holding his demeanor as the blaze quickly worked its way up the gates.

The smoke billowed thickly through the crowd, eliciting a chorus of hacking and wheezing as they all struggled to cover their mouths. Aela blinked furiously as her eyes burned and watered, crouching low to the ground to avoid the haze. From there, she could see several men running to and fro with buckets futilely dumping water onto the fire. She gave them credit for trying, but the flames were far too large to be put out now.

A few guards yelled for them to get back as the doors swayed haphazardly. They were quick to oblige, dashing off of the crowded bridge to form a semi circle on the road. The burning wood cracked and splintered, the top half of the left door toppling to the ground with a deafening crash.

There was an eruption of embers and splintered wood as the bandits knocked the remaining half of the crippled door down. The men carrying the battering ram tossed the large log to the side, quickly drawing their weapons and charging into the hold. Aela readied her shield in front of her as they poured through the opening, stepping on the blazing lumber fearlessly.

Intoxication forgotten, Aela gripped her dagger tightly as a particularly large bandit charged at her. He was lightly armored, wearing only a leather suit. A wry smile worked its way onto her lips as he raised his war hammer mid stride. He thought she was an easy target. She raised her shield above her head as the hammer came crashing down. The huntress twirled it to the side with ease, using his momentum against him. The bandit staggered and before he could retaliate, she plunged her dagger under his chin to the hilt. Blood squirted around her hand as she ripped it out, watching his lifeless body fall to the ground. Aela took little time to savor the kill, readying herself as another outlaw came running down the bridge towards her.

This time it was a woman with a sword, shield and a full suit of iron armor. She sprinted with a defensive stance, quite possibly more efficiently trained in the ways of war than her comrades. The huntress studied her opponent quickly, stepping over the twitching corpse she had just disposed of. They met halfway across the bridge and began to slowly circle one another.

This woman might be a challenge.

Her eyes shone with malice and lust underneath her helmet, glaring at Aela. She returned the gaze just as intensely, carefully sidestepping in the deadly dance. She wasn't sure how long they simply stared at one another, waiting for the other to make a move. Seconds, minutes, hours. The fog of war distorted the crimson haired woman's perception of time. So she decided to make the first attack.

Aela broke her stance, charging at her with her shield ready. In a swift movement, she thrusted her shield forward, knocking the bandit backwards a step. She acted quickly, swiping at the woman's neck. The bandit leaned back to narrowly miss the tip of her dagger, recovering hastily and throwing a counter attack. She swung her sword so fast that Aela barely had any time to react. The tip of the iron scraped her forehead, leaving a thin red line.

Aela bared her teeth in anger, feeling hot liquid slowly seep down her face. She rammed her shield against the bandit's, knocking her off balance once again. The huntress threw her leg out, catching the woman's calf and yanked it forward. The outlaw hit the ground with a loud bang and Aela kicked her sword hand, jarring the weapon from her grip.

The huntress knelt down swiftly for the killing blow. As her steel met the woman's neck, the look of sheer horror in her eyes nearly made her stop. Aela swallowed the knot in her throat as she slit her neck, watching the fire behind the bandit's eyes flicker and wither. She let out one last gurgled breath and was still. Aela stood abruptly, swaying as she turned towards the gate where more bandits were flowing in. The other door had fallen down and was still blazing wildly, creating an ominous background for the thugs rushing towards them. Aela wiped some blood off her eyebrow that was threatening to drip into her eyes, gritting her teeth at the sight. These lowlifes only had one intention. To slaughter the innocent citizens, ransack the city, and then burn it to the ground.

They deserved no mercy.

The clashing of steel and iron rang in her sensitive ears as she quickly killed several opponents. The thrill of battle helped clear her senses better than any miracle potion Skjor could have ever given her. For that, she was grateful. Being dim-witted and in the fray would have surely been a swift death.

The man she was currently fighting was putting up quite a fight. At first, she had thought him to be nothing more than a lumbering oaf dual-wielding daggers. With his stature and build, the tiny weapons looked comical in his grip and she really couldn't take him seriously. But as he elbowed her hard in the face and sent her to the ground, Aela was having second thoughts on her first perception.

The huntress rolled quickly out of the way as one of his daggers made its way for her throat. She heard the metal scrape against the stone and him grunt in frustration as she jumped to her feet. She raised her battered shield and spit a hefty amount of coppery tasting liquid out of her mouth, frowning. The bastard had split open the inside of her cheek. The bandit glared, flaring his nostrils and roaring at her. She watched in twisted horror as his teeth elongated to sharp points and fur sprouted rapidly across his body. He was a werewolf.

Shit.

"Farkas!" Aela cried out, dashing forward on an attempt to kill him before the transformation completed. Without the ability to freely transform herself due to all the people around her, the huntress was at a great disadvantage. He jumped back with incredible speed as she made a few swipes as his throat, missing every time. Aela heard Farkas yell her name back to her as she continued to thrust her dagger at the beast. Blood trickled into her right eye, eliciting a pained hiss from her as she shut it tightly. She let out a few choice swear words as the bandit before her completed his metamorphosis.

He roared loudly, causing a few men to drop their weapons and flee. Aela snorted as she whipped her head around to see them running in fear; the battlefield would be better off without the weak hearted. Those who couldn't stand their ground against such foes were a risk to the warriors with valor.

Farkas dashed up beside her, his torso and face caked in blood. He let out a few curses as well as he saw the werewolf stand erect, eyeing them hungrily. The Shield-Siblings glanced at each other with a nod and ran at the monster, flanking him. Aela let out a savage yell, leaping at him and digging her dagger into his shoulder. He let out a pained roar as she climbed onto the beast's back, hitting it in the head with the edge of her shield and stabbing it repeatedly in the neck with her weapon. Farkas stabbed at the werewolf's legs, slicing its thighs quickly and sending it to its knees.

Aela leapt off as it swung a blind arm at her, its razor sharp claws missing her by inches. Farkas let out a strangled scream as the beast's claws raked through his armor and knocked him down, his greatsword dropping to the ground with a large clang. The huntress snarled, letting the blood pooling in her mouth drip out freely. She hurriedly scrubbed at her right eye to rid it of the bothersome fluid that had made its way there. After blinking a few times, she dashed forward, sheathing her dagger tucking herself into a roll. With a skilled hand, she grabbed her Shield Brother's forgotten weapon and spun to face the beast once more.

It bellowed at her, attempting to scare her away merely with its voice. She spat at it, rushing forward. He would not scare her so easily. Though the greatsword was very foreign to her and its surprising weigh almost threw her off balance, Aela managed to stay upright with it and keep a firm grip with her shield still strapped to her arm.

It swiped feebly at her as she approached and she parried its attacks, chopping one of its clawed hands clean off at the wrist. She raised the sword without hesitation above her head, letting out another beastial cry. The steel plunged deep within its skull, the huntress silently thanking the Gods that her attack had struck true. The beast whimpered pathetically, shaking as its eyes rolled into the back of its head. Aela watched with a twisted pleasure as it slumped over, dead. Placing a foot on its blood-ridden muzzle, she grabbed the hilt of Farkas' sword and ripped it from its fleshy sheath.

The huntress stood straight, ignoring the chaos around her as she stared at the fallen werewolf. Blood continued to trickle down her face and past her lips, blending with her omnipresent war paint and giving her a disturbing mask. She gripped the weapon loosely, letting the tip hit the ground and running a hand across her brow to prevent the sticky liquid from running into her eyes again.

Aela slowly turned, spitting some blood out of her mouth and looking to her fallen Shield-Brother. Farkas was lying on his back near the edge of the bridge with his hands pressed firmly against the bleeding wound on his chest. She winced; the werewolf seemed to have clawed him deeply. The woman closed the short distance between them, falling to her knees at his side and dropping his sword. He had his eyes squeezed shut in pain, gritting his teeth as he writhed on the cold stone.

"Farkas…" she whispered, gingerly touching his hand.

"Did you kill it?" he grunted back, slowly opening his eyes. Aela nodded, tilting her head and looking for a suitable place to hide him from the battle. She knew he couldn't fight anymore like this. "Good. He didn't get you, did he?" he let out a raspy laugh and the huntress smiled. He didn't even care about his own injuries. She shook her head, tugging at his arm.

"Come on, brother. You can't stay here," she whispered, hauling him to his feet. He grunted, grabbing his sword from where it laid on the ground.

"You worry too much Aela, I'm fine. A little scratch won't slow me down," he said with a forced laugh. Aela gave him a wary look before nodding and letting go of his arm. She readjusted her shield, which had slid uncomfortably up her arm, and slipped her hand through the steel grip. Farkas wiped some of the blood off of his hands on his chaps before firmly grabbing his weapon. She glanced at the large gashes on his chest, noting they weren't bleeding as badly as she had first assumed. Well, if he thinks he can fight…

A loud whinny caught her attention and she spun around. There, under the scorched stone archway was a warrior on a black horse, the animal rearing back and its owner brandishing two large swords.

So this was their leader.

He was dressed in full ebony armor that shone ominously from the light of the fire. The steed landed and with a sharp kick from its mount, charged towards the battle. Several bandits let out whoops and hollers as he galloped forth, lopping off the heads of a few unsuspecting guards that stood in his path. Aela gasped as he nearly hit Skjor, the old Companion ducking in the nick of time. She growled, scanning the area for a bow. There was a very slim chance of taking this foe down while he was on the horse; he would cut down anyone that got too close.

The huntress spotted a lifeless bandit a few feet away that had a bow and full quiver strapped to its back. A feral smile crossed her lips at the luck and she ran for it, un-strapping her shield and untying the weapons as quickly as she could. However, her luck ran thin as an outlaw ran towards her, sword raised dangerously. Aela rolled to the side to dodge the attack, but screamed in pain as the metal sunk deep into her side. She could feel the sinew and tendons being sliced apart and the sword twisting in her side, shooting agony throughout her limbs. The sword was ripped painfully from her flesh and an icy boot met her ribs, knocking her onto her back. Aela glared upwards into the face of the bandit as she drew back her sword once more, preparing the finishing blow.

A sword was stabbed through her chest and the woman gasped, her eyes slowly trailing down to the steel protruding from her. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as it was swiftly removed and she fell to the ground beside Aela. Vilkas was standing there, a grin on his face.

"Looked like you needed some help," he said as he raised his greatsword once more. Aela gave him a small smile, rolling painfully to her knees and returning to her task. Thankfully, she had already loosened the straps and the quiver slid off with ease. She grabbed it and the bow, quickly standing. She tried her best to ignore the searing in her side, swiping her hand across her forehead again as she felt blood collecting on her brow. With a little difficulty, she strapped the quiver to her back and gripped the bow tightly, pulling the sting back a few times to test the tension and flexibility. A pleased sigh escaped her as she determined it was still in good shape and almost matched her own prized weapon. Almost.

Vilkas took off as a small wave of bandits threatened to overtake a pair of Companions that were fighting back to back. Athis and Njada. She shook her head at the irony before scanning the large battlefield for the bandit leader. The huntress took a moment to examine the extent of the carnage and a displeased frown graced her. The fight was spilling into the streets, almost reaching the small marketplace in that direction and halfway up the large flight of stairs in the other. They were losing ground quickly. Bodies of both sides littered the streets, making it difficult to move in some areas where they were piled upon each other in a jumbled mess.

However, a sense of hope fluttered in her chest as she noticed most of the bodies were those of their attackers. Another quick scan revealed that the bandits were losing numbers fast. At least they were winning.

Aela shook her head, she had a task. A very important one at that. The leader wasn't hard to spot on his large steed, standing next to the blacksmith's shop with a circle of opponents. A few guards and Companions swatted feebly at him while he cut them down with ease and the horse reared at them. The huntress scowled as its hoof came crashing down on a guard, crushing his torso. She looked to her side just as Farkas split the head of his opponent open with a fierce swing.

"Farkas, cover me!" she shouted to him as he wrenched the weapon from the bandit's disfigured skull. He nodded, running to her holding his greatsword high and pressing his back to hers. The cold metal of his armor chilled her back and sent shivers down her spine, but she ignored it. Aela plucked an arrow from its resting place on her back and quickly snapped it into place. The bow creaked as she pulled the string back, trying her best to forget the stab wound in her ribs.

She closed an eye, carefully aiming for the bandit leader's torso. A headshot would be foolish to attempt with him moving around so much. The woman took in a deep breath, steadying herself the best she could and released the arrow. It shot through the air, soaring straight at her target.

And struck home.

The ebony-clad thug lurched off his horse as the arrow hit him square in the chest. Aela couldn't help the smirk that worked it way to her lips as her comrades quickly seized the moment, plunging their weapons into the fallen villain. Well, it was safe to say he was dead.

"Got him," she announced proudly and Farkas turned, glimpsing a guard removing his weapon from the motionless bandit. He clapped a hand on her shoulder with a laugh, prompting her to turn her head.

"Good shot sister! This will shake the bastards' confidence," he said with a smug grin. She looked back to the battle where several outlaws were already running their way to make an escape. She dropped the bow without a second thought, scooping her shield off the ground and strapping it back on then unsheathing her dagger once more.

There will be no survivors.

They had the arrogance to storm Whiterun and now expect to retreat? After all the death they had caused? Aela snorted furiously as rage crept through her. Too many families will be broken after this and those loved ones deserved their retribution. If she was the one to exact that revenge, then so be it.

Farkas seemed to read her thoughts as she began to back up towards the fallen gates, barring the entrance. The timber was merely a smoldering pile of ashes now. Her boots sunk deep into the soot as she reached the archway, raising her shield high.

Together, she and Farkas made quick work of the stragglers that attempted to escape the hold. The pair slashed at them with terrifyingly accurate blows, killing each one in only a few hits apiece.

As the last one fell limply to the ground, Aela allowed herself to drop to her knees. Victory cries rang out from the warriors and guards, many of them thrusting their swords to the heavens and others banging on their shields in triumph.

It was over, seemly as quickly as it had begun to the huntress.

An unknown fatigue swallowed her as she knelt there, breathing heavily. She looked to her hands, her fingerless gloves dyed red with blood. She scanned what she could see of herself uneasily and saw there was barely a place on her that was not drenched in the crimson liquid. Aela frowned, staring at her knees. How many lives had she taken in this battle?

She spit out some blood slowly gathering in her mouth, furrowing her brows as she stared at her own precious life liquid slowly flowing through the cracks of the withered stone. How much blood was on her that was not her own? The huntress let out a defeated sigh; thinking about it would not change what just happened. She only did what was necessary to protect herself and everyone else living here in Whiterun. Such was the life of a Companion. A warrior. A Nord.

Farkas unexpectedly lifted her to her feet, startling her. "Did you hear me?" he asked when she gave him a confused stare. She shook her head, looking to the stone again and he let out a deep sigh. "I said you look really rough, Aela. We should get you to a healer." The huntress let out a hollow laugh.

"Me? I think you should see one first. I'm fine," she looked him dead in the eyes before taking a shaky step forward and collapsing. Her palms were scratched on the rough rocks through her gloves and she hissed, becoming vaguely aware of an abrasion on her left calf. When did that get there? Farkas knelt beside her, placing a gentle hand on her back. She saw a few pairs of silver boots marching her way slowly and looked up to see the other members of the Circle approaching. Aela tilted her head back down, allowing more blood to drip from her lips and wiping her forehead. The injures were getting to be rather bothersome.

"Well done, brothers and sisters. Many lives may have been lost today, but savor our triumph; this was not a hollow victory. We have fulfilled our duties to protect this hold from our foes and in turn, preserved the lives of many," Kodlak spoke as they came to a halt before them. He began to continue his victory speech, but it was lost to Aela as she slumped onto her bottom, suddenly feeling woozy and gripping her face tenderly. Her head spun madly and her vision flickered dangerously.

The huntress fell to her side in her daze, unaware of the shouting above her as the world danced frantically behind her eyes. She barely noticed being picked up by one of her Shield-Brothers, nor the frantic steps of their stride as they raced to an unknown destination. She felt her face press against the icy chest plate of her savior, letting her eyes fall wearily.

The world around her grew cold and she let out a battered sigh. She wrenched her eyes open in an attempt to make sense of her situation, but the world was a fuzzy blur. Aela let her silver orbs become closed the confusing sight before her and let out another sigh, allowing a peaceful darkness take her.


	3. The Dragonborn

**Ok, so. Heres the next lovely installment ;). So you don't get confused, I am NOT a Farkas/Aela shipper. I merely think, in my humble opinion, that they have a stong friendship. Nothing more. =)**_  
_

**Don't forget to comment. Please? With sugar?  
**

_She gasped sharply, bolting upright as she awoke. Two strong hands pressed firmly on her shoulders, pushing her gently back down to her laying position. Aela blinked several times, clearing the haze from her vision to see Kodlak smiling down at her, his silver eyes shining with worry. _

"_Easy sister, you lost a lot of blood during the battle. Your body is healed, but I would not be surprised if your strength still wanes." He spoke lowly, removing his burly hands from her. She breathed deeply, taking in her surroundings. The ceiling was high, crafted intricately with large slabs of tanned marble. A large square window adorned the middle with ivy spindling down its edges, some cascading low enough to touch. That alone was enough for her to determine where she was. The Temple of Kynareth. The huntress knitted her eyebrows together, attempting to recollect the events that had brought her here. It was all a blur. The last thing she remembered was falling to her knees and staring at her bloodstained hands._

"_What happened?" she started slowly, propping herself on and elbow. The Harbinger sat back down in his chair beside her sickbed, crossing his arms and leaning back. He looked to his feet for a moment, deep in thought before raising his eyes to her once more._

"_You collapsed on the bridge shortly after the battle was over. Skjor carried you here for healing, though it was difficult for the priests to find your wounds," he let out a small laugh, "you were covered in so much blood they could barely tell where you were bleeding from. They suspect that the injury to your side caught a few vital areas. You are lucky, Aela," he placed his hand on her knee gently, locking his silver eyes with her own. "Priestess Danica told us you were close to death. But you are a strong woman; death's icy grip will not take you so easily." He gave her knee a soft squeeze and a reassuring smile. "Ever since you were but a child you've had an affinity to get yourself into danger and back out just as easily. Ever since you came of age and joined us, I've learned to believe the stories your mother used to tell me of your exasperating feats." Aela laughed lightly at the remark, sitting up further. Her mother had loved to tell tales of her while she was still alive. The huntress bit back a frown and pushed back memories threatening to flood into the front of her mind. She suppressed those thoughts with good reason._

_Kodlak took his hand off of her, standing with a grunt. "I'm sorry sister, but I must return to Jorrvaskr. There's no telling what your Shield Siblings are getting themselves into while I've been gone," the man let out a hearty laugh. "If you are able, you are welcome to join me. I would recommend for you to get more rest regardless."_

_Aela didn't need to be told twice. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, pushing herself up tenderly. The Temple had always been unsettling to her. Though Kynareth's priests were dedicated to healing the sick, it was a place of death. She put a weak foot forward, following her Harbinger out of the Temple._

I looked up abruptly to the sound of metal clattering against stone, ripping me from my thoughts. Farkas glanced at me sheepishly from across the expansive room, picking his greatsword up from where it had fallen. He mumbled a 'sorry' before turning his back to me, returning to pouring over the plans we had found.

I sighed, dipping my chin back down. The bandit attack on Whiterun had happened almost a month ago, yet I was still plagued by the memory. I had come so close to death yet again and I was beginning to doubt my own abilities. In all my life as a Companion, never had I had so many brushes with death so close together. Granted, it was only twice and the two instances happened several months apart, but that didn't matter. Two was quite enough in such a relatively short amount of time.

I shut my eyes with a silent sigh, crossing my arms and shuffling my legs. The back of my head touched the mossy stone pillar I was leaned against as I allowed my mind to roam. The casualties from the fight hadn't been nearly as drastic as I had first suspected. Three new recruits from the Companions that had not even undergone their first mission to prove their honor, nearly a dozen guardsmen, and at least six citizens of the hold. Still a lot of dead to bury, but thankfully not as many as I had thought. Overall, there had been a total of forty-eight dead bandits. When I was told this information, I nearly fell off my stool in surprise. Forty-eight? In the entire written history of Whiterun there has never been a siege led by outlaws of such numbers!

Well, not until now.

I unconsciously twisted some fur protruding from my shoulder pads between my fingers, inhaling deeply. I could smell blood thick in the air, mixing with the scent of mold and stagnate water. It wasn't very pleasant at all. The place stunk bad enough without the blood. With a quick kick to the wall, I pushed myself from my perch. I had been reminiscing too much lately and quite frankly, it was a little disturbing to me. I had never been a nostalgic person by any means. But as of late, I've found myself pouring over recent events _even with_ enough mead in me to knock out a horse.

I swiftly made my way across the dank room, stopping beside Farkas and looking to the yellowed papers on the table. Plans for the Silver Hand. My Shield Brother was staring intensely at a map with several dotted lines and arrows pointing to various locations. My immediate guess was that they indicated shipments of goods and their recent movements. These sneaky bastards tended to hop from one place to the other at least three times a month or more. I scratched at my chin in thought as I tore my gaze away to the other sheet in front of me.

This parchment was what I was interested in. Their attack plans. Skimming through revealed the top half of the page was just a collection of recent sieges on a few stray werewolf dens. I shook my head in pity. Some people could not embrace the blessing and were trapped as beasts, forever roaming the wilds with broken minds. They were nothing but savages and were extremely dangerous, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for them. They were my brothers and sisters of the moon and no one deserved such a fate. Knowing this, I considered myself lucky to be able to control the beast within me. My eyes skimmed lower, stopping as I saw the phrase 'Furless Wolves'. We had discovered a long time ago that this phrase, as incredibly stupid an unimaginative as it was, was their keyword for the Companions. I began to read the plans, immediately interested.

I frowned as I read. The scraggly font revealed that they were planning on ambushing us on a botched mission. They were going to hire a client to give us a fake contract and when the warriors reached the destination, they would be slaughtered. I scowled at the parchment, clenching my fists as I read on. It said that they had several of these traps already planned out, but revealed no names of the clients or destinations.

The plans then went into detailed shipment arrangements and I lost interest. Though this was just as important as the ambush schemes, the rage slowly building within me was making it difficult to focus on the tiny print. So these milk-drinking cowards were finally considering stooping to such levels to get rid of us? I snorted loudly, causing Farkas to turn his head curiously at me.

"Find something?" he said with a wry smile, scratching at the stubble on his cheek. I nodded, pointing at the passage I had read.

"They're setting up fake contracts to lure our Shield Siblings to their deaths. We're lucky we found these documents in time, it looks like they've organized to put these plans in motion soon," I stated simply as I rolled the parchment quickly. Farkas followed suit with a displeased frown, curling the map within his hands and tucking it under his arm. There was no need to stay here any longer; we had wiped out the Silver Hand residing here and recovered their plans. Kodlak needed to see these papers as soon as possible.

I turned to the exit, slowly making my way there as Farkas gathered a few things off the table. There was no real need to rush; we were very close to Whiterun. Just to the South-West in an old military outpost known as Fort Greymoor. I shouldered open the archaic

door as I reached it and held it open for my Shield Brother. I released the rotten wood as he passed me, shaking my hand in disgust as specks of mold and Gods know what else flung off of my hand. I stared at my gloved palm for a few second before settling with wiping it on the stone wall. At least the exterior granite wasn't covered in absolute filth.

Shrugging off my sudden girlish moment, I bounded after Farkas with a stupidly wide grin, all the while laughing at myself.

* * *

"That's ridiculous!" Farkas bellowed with a booming laugh and spitting out some of the venison he was chewing on, making Aela laugh even harder. She doubled over, clutching at her sides and running out of breath. She could feel blood rushing to her cheeks as she gasped for air. Farkas slapped his armored thigh as he, too, cackled uncontrollably. There was a chorus of gasping and winded giggles as they fought their respective fits of laughter, leaving the food forgotten.

The pair were in the plains of Whiterun hold enjoying a fresh meal and the afternoon sun after an hour or so of traveling from Fort Greymoor. Aela had been quite surprised at how long the return journey was taking; walking there had seemed to take no time at all. It didn't bother the huntress at all, however. Farkas was one of her closest friends and great company. She certainly didn't mind walking hours or days on end with him to entertain her. And so far, it had been far from boring. The young werewolf had been cracking jokes and boasting of his own recently completed contracts, dramatically reenacting the scenes for the woman. And after crossing half of the large plain and spotting a herd of small deer, the pair had decided they were incredibly hungry. They quickly disposed of an animal, chopped it up and made a small camp next to a creek.

So here they were, eating and laughing like idiots.

Aela took a deep breath as she steadied herself, wiping a stray tear that had run down her face. She never would have thought a story about mages blowing themselves up would turn out to be so funny. Farkas let out a throaty cough he also stilled his laughter, taking a large drink from his waterskin. She sighed, picking up her juicy cut of loin. The meat was warm and slick in her grip, dripping with a small bit of grease. Her stomach growled lowly as the aroma wafted into her nostrils, making her mouth water even though she had already eaten half of her meal. Grabbing the large cut with her other hand to keep it from flopping around like a fish; she sunk her teeth into it, savoring the delicious flavor and tenderness. Only fancy-shmancy cooks and Jarls thought meat needed seasonings and salt and various other things. Aela couldn't say she agreed. Meat should taste perfect without any kind of tampering besides cooking it.

Then again, that might have been because of her beast blood.

She shrugged to herself, devouring the juicy loin as a peaceful silence fell between them. Farkas mimicked her, picking the flesh from his quarter haunch not-so-gracefully. The huntress finished the slab of venison with a pleased sigh. With a small cough she stood, walking to the small creek and dipping her hands into the freezing water. She may have been a Nord, but she was no barbarian. The only reason she ate her meal with her hands was because it was her only option. And they were in the wilderness. Forks and knives don't exactly grow on trees.

As she crouched beside the babbling brook and stuck her hands through the gently flowing water, she found a serene peace falling over her. A few birds chirped in the distance and crickets began to sing for. A small breeze hugged her, causing the tips of her crimson hair to tickle her neck and cheeks. Aela tilted her head to the sky, shutting her eyes and allowing nature to sooth her wary mind. Though, her thoughts quickly changed as she listened to the insects and fowl call out to one another. Calling out for partners. For mates.

She had seen twenty-seven winters since her birth. Her eyebrows slowly lowered as she realized in all the years she had been alive, she had not once attempted to court one to call her own. The huntress sighed, lowering her head to stare at her hands. She removed them slowly from the stream and watched the crystal droplets fall from her fingertips. Aela had never really thought twice of the life she was living alone, but age was gaining on her quickly. Most people in Skyrim were lucky to live for sixty years. But with the return of the dragons, the civil war raging at their doorstep, and her recent run-ins with near-death experiences; Aela wasn't sure if she would see her fortieth winter. Though she also knew that with her blessing her life would be extended considerably, it didn't make her feel much better.

She shook her hands lightly as she determined the reason for such thoughts. The Dragonborn. The huntress gritted her teeth lightly in frustration. She had finally managed to subdue the overwhelming thoughts of longing for the woman, but the damage had been done. The life of a Companion no longer felt as fulfilling as it used to be after feeling the desire to be with Selene, as subtle and confusing as it may have been. Aela shook her head. Selene was the Dragonborn. The renowned hero of Nordic legend and song. There was no doubt in the huntress's mind that the woman had already found someone just as important as her to wed.

Aela growled in irritation. _'Stop thinking about it! It always leads to the same damned conclusions!' _she hissed at herself, punching the pebbled streambed. Her knuckles flared with pain, but she embraced it in a strangely perverse way. She needed some kind of anchor to the real world to get her out of these stupid daydreams.

"Aela…?" Farkas called out unsurely, prompting the woman to whip her head over her shoulder and glare at him. He rose his eyebrows in surprise at the ferocity of her gaze. She realized the intensity in which she was looking at him and sighed, softening her expression and casted her gaze to her knees. Aela heard him stand up and shuffle over to her, kneeling at her side. He placed a firm hand on the small of her back, rubbing it tenderly. She looked back over her shoulder to him and he gave her a small smile.

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked her quietly, adjusting himself to sit cross-legged and propping his elbows on his knees. She smiled back at his insight. And everyone thought he was as dull as a hammer…

The huntress turned her head to look at the babbling brook again, watching the water tumble over the pebbles and sand. "I don't even know how to talk about it," she said with a forced laugh. Her Shield Brother remained quiet, waiting patiently for her to find her words. Aela let out a small sigh, rolling on the balls of her feet and landing on her bottom. She tucked her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them tightly, tilting her head to the sky. "Do you ever feel alone, Farkas?" she asked quietly. He scratched at his chin in thought, clearly confused by the question.

"Not really. I have my Shield Siblings to keep me company," Farkas replied almost immediately, completely missing the implication. Aela forced a laugh, keeping her gaze on the blue abyss.

"That's not what I mean. Do you ever wish there was someone by your side every day to make you feel whole? Someone like…" she hesitated, biting her bottom lip, "like a lover." Farkas let out a low 'oh' as she finished, picking at a string on his boot.

"Uh... I've never really thought about it. Being a Companion kind of keeps me too occupied to think of things like that," he said slowly, clearing his throat softly. Aela looked back down to the creek with a shake of her head. She hadn't really expected him to be able to relate; Farkas was several years younger than her. He was just reaching his prime years of life and as a Nord, he would likely be more interested in being at the forefront of battle than settling down with a family.

"Yeah… I've always thought the same way," she said quietly, hoping he would get up and return to his spot next to the fire. There was no point in trying to confide in him if he didn't understand how she felt. Aela suppressed the urge to laugh. First she becomes a reminiscent asshole constantly reviewing her own life and now she was spilling her guts to somebody. Certainly not something she would have been doing only a few short months ago.

"Well you don't now," Farkas said, breaking the increasingly awkward silence. She smiled again. He _really_ wasn't as stupid as people made him out to be.

"No, not anymore. I… met someone a while ago. They made me realize life shouldn't be lived alone… whether they know they did or not," she bit the tip of her tongue, instantly regretting what she had said. Had she really come to that conclusion or was she just spewing random bullshit now? She furrowed her brows, dropping her chin onto her knees. _'Selene…' _She thought grimly. She had finally gotten this woman out of head! Why wouldn't these thoughts just stay away?

"Well why don't you go find someone? I mean, I've heard about you and Skjor…" Aela turned so abruptly with a fiery glare Farkas flinched, nearly falling on his back.

"You should know better than to believe that damned gossip. There is nothing between us. Nothing," she hissed, huffing as she returned to her former position. Her chin came down on her arms painfully and she stared at the water. The huntress was more than sick of people making up rumors of her Skjor. She heard him clear his throat again, obviously embarrassed and an uncomfortable silence crept over them once more. After several minutes crept by, Farkas coughed.

"Um… do you have anyone in mind? You're a beautiful woman, Aela. Finding a husband shouldn't be difficult for you at all," she winced as he spoke. He wasn't helping at all. If anything, he was making this much more difficult. And awkward. Very awkward. She sighed. Might as well bite the bullet.

"I do, but it doesn't matter. Someone like them would never be interested in me." She replied shortly, wishing he wouldn't ask anymore questions. This was a painful enough subject just thinking about it.

"Why not? You're a strong warrior, a great hunter, and you would make an excellent wife for whoever was lucky enough to have you," Farkas said quietly and Aela bit her lip again. This was getting really uncomfortable for her. She knew he was just trying to console her, but he wasn't doing a very good job.

"That may be, but they're a little out of my league." He placed a hand on her shoulder pad in an attempt to convey his sympathies. Aela sighed for the umpteenth time, burying her face between her knees.

"Then go for it. If you have feelings for just this one person, then why not go ahead and try? Yeah, it might hurt if they say no, but what is there to lose? If you really want to be with them, don't let the opportunity pass you." Aela raised her head and looked to him with a smile. That was probably the smartest thing he had ever said to her. What _was_ there to lose? Rejection would probably hurt less than whining, hiding, and wallowing in her self-pity like a milk-drinking coward. She snaked her hand to cover his, giving it a small squeeze and looking to the sky again.

Aela kept her smile as she watched a few clouds roll by, tendrils of the fluffy masses wisping away at the edges. Farkas was right. Perhaps she should take some time to herself and track down the woman. She was, after all, a professional hunter. Hunting the elusive Dragonborn down should be an easy task. There was no point in sitting around daydreaming of what could or couldn't be.

Then again, she wasn't so sure if she loved the woman or was just simply entranced with her. The whole thing was so confusing to her that the huntress had found herself skulking to her bedchambers with a massive headache several times. But, she had never felt this way before. For anything. The talk with her Shield Brother had re-ignited the fires in her mind that she had been so meticulously snuffing out. Just, what exactly, was love? How was it supposed to feel? What was even more difficult was that she had no idea of who to talk to about the subject. Her parents were long dead and her most trusted friends were all single. Her smile turned to a wry one as she thought of Eorlund Grey-mane, the smith of the Skyforge. He had been happily married for decades. Perhaps she would pay the old blacksmith a visit upon their return to Whiterun…

She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't notice Farkas stand abruptly until he lightly nudged her with the tip of his boot. She looked to him in confusion to see he was staring to the West with his weapon drawn. Aela stood as well, cocking her head curiously. What did he hear?

"What…" she started, but snapped her mouth shut as she heard a distant roar. Her silver eyes widened in shock. That couldn't be. That was the same sound she had heard months ago. The deafening cry of a Dragon.

Aela whipped out her bow quickly, drawing an arrow out as well and notching it into place on the string. She kept it pointed at the ground, however. No need to aim at something you can't see.

"Did you hear that? What in the name of Talos was that?" Farkas whispered, crouching low to the ground. She followed, maneuvering her readied bow to her side.

"A dragon," she whispered back, keeping her eyes trained in the direction it had come from. He gave her an incredulous look.

"How the hell do you know that?" Aela hesitated.

"I've seen one," she replied curtly. He rose an eyebrow at her.

"What? When?" he asked slowly. She pursed her lips in slight irritation.

"The day Helgen was attacked. I was hunting and it flew straight over me," he gave her a look that said 'Why didn't you tell anyone?' and she nearly growled. "Do you think you would have believed me?" she asked and when he didn't respond, she sighed. "That's why." Farkas let out an 'oh' and turned his head, scanning the skies.

They stood there for several tense minutes, staring intently for any signs of the dragon. When they heard and saw nothing, Aela began to relax. It must have been flying away from them. The huntress stood straight, gingerly replacing her weapons in their respective places. She lifted her left foot off the ground, which had become numb while crouching, and began to twirl it in small circles to coax feeling back into the appendage. Farkas cracked his neck loudly after sheathing his greatsword and let out a hefty yawn.

Aela slammed hard against the ground, her body bouncing like a ragdoll along the rocky terrain. As she rolled to a stop, she gasped in surprise. '_What the fuck?_' She was absolutely paralyzed in her shock, staring at the baby blue sky blankly. There was deep bellow so loud she went deaf from the ringing in her ears. Her eyes widened in fear. How had the dragon snuck up on them?

Aela finally jolted up from her paralysis, jumping to her feet. The winged beast was on the ground, snarling fiercely at them. Farkas was already on his feet and running towards it with a savage battle cry. The man leapt, bringing his sword down hard on its muzzle. The dragon growled as the blade sliced through the thin scales of its nose and he managed to jump back just in time to miss rows of gnashing fangs. The werewolf let out a yelp in surprise as it snapped at him again like a viper. The back of his boot caught a rock sticking out of the dirt and he tripped, landing hard on his back. His eyes went wide as he watched its gaping maw snap shut with frightening speed where he had been standing a fraction of a second before.

The dragon's massive head tilted downward to the prone Companion, baring its glistening white teeth. Blood poured off the tip of its snout, dripping onto his chest plate and drenching him with the sticky fluid. It opened its large mouth, preparing to snap him up within its jaws.

An arrow struck it in the side of the neck, causing the beast to direct its attention towards Aela. The huntress was already pulling another arrow back to shoot again, aiming as quickly as she could. The dragon roared, clumsily maneuvering itself to charge at her. She let the arrow fly, striking it just above its skull. A deep gurgle emitted from its throat and Aela instinctively turned, jumping behind a boulder a few feet away.

And not a moment too soon.

A jet of fire screamed past her, bouncing off the bulk of the stone. She crouched lower to the ground, watching the halo of reds and oranges fly around her refuge. The heat from the blast was immense, making the hair on her arms curl. The inferno stopped abruptly and she could hear her Shield Brother let out another cry. Aela stood, jumping out from behind her safe haven and swiftly plucked out another arrow. It was readied just as quickly, the huntress wasting no time in centering her target. The projectile soared, burying itself deep within the dragon's thick neck. The beast wailed, but didn't turn its attention to her. It was busy with Farkas.

The man swung his sword hard at the dragon's head, striking it in the jaw. Aela watched in horror as the beast spun around with a speed she wasn't sure it should be capable of, slamming its tail against Farkas' head with a sickening crunch. He soared through the air several yards before losing his momentum, tumbling to the ground in a heap. Aela gritted her teeth furiously. Another arrow notched onto the string of her bow and flew just as quickly. It joined the others in the side of the dragon's neck, gaining its attention once more. It turned its head ominously, glaring at her with its slitted eyes.

Oh fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.

It parted its jowls with a vociferous roar, slamming its wings into the ground as it charged her. Aela panicked, spinning on her heels and bolting. Her eyes darted back in forth for a place to hide or some kind of vantage point. Something. _Anything. 'Oh Gods. Divines, help me!'_

Aela painfully collided with the ground once more and fell into an uncontrolled tumble. The huntress rolled to stop with a groan, sitting up despite her aching body. Her attempt was thwarted quickly as the snout of the dragon rammed her square in the chest. She fell back to the ground winded, cracking the back of her head on a rock. She gasped for air as the dragon moved over her. Its mouth opened with a hiss, its forked tongue slithering out between its jagged teeth. Aela swallowed hard, remaining stiff with fear. The tip of its pink tongue flicked at her leather-covered torso, drool dripping from its muzzle. She could feel the thick saliva soaking through her armor with a bit of disgust. Was it… tasting her? Blood splashed onto her chest from its wounded snout, a few droplets splattering onto her face.

The dragon let out a low growl and Aela felt time itself slow. The sun shone off its brown scales brilliantly, giving it a strange majestic glow. A thin line of smoke was billowing from its large nostrils and masked its elongated face. Its golden eyes stared hungrily at her from within its deep sockets. The dragon parted its mouth further and Aela felt its hot, putrid breath engulf her. She swallowed again. There was no escaping death this time. Her fate was staring her straight in the eyes and… drooling on her. The huntress slid her silver orbs shut, accepting the painful death she was about to fall to.

The dragon let out a pained scream and reared back, flailing its wings madly. Aela's eyes shot open in shock to see an arrow jutting from its right eye. She leapt to her feet at the opportunity, praising the Gods for whoever had saved her. She wasted no time for her escape, dashing wildly to the left of the dragon towards her savior. The dwarven-clad warrior stood atop a large bolder, brandishing their bow. They jumped from their perch as Aela approached and drew out their golden long sword, turning their masked face to the huntress as she stopped with a huff.

"Stay on its right side and aim for just behind its jaw. That's the sweet spot," the person spoke quickly before running at the dragon. Aela narrowed her eyes. Their voice was distorted due to their helmet, but she was sure she had heard it before…

She spun around and readied her bow once more, watching carefully as the warrior swung with deadly accuracy at the dragon's 'sweet spot'. It bellowed in pain, swinging its head angrily in an attempt to hit its unseen foe. As Aela watched the golden armored figure land consecutive successful blows, she began to notice that they had curved hips. And breasts. It was a woman? The huntress felt her heart flutter with hope. Could it really be her?

The woman ducked to the side to avoid the dragon's wing crushing down on her and Aela snapped her attention back to the battle. She quickly aimed and released the arrow, swearing as it dug deep into the dragon's snout. She drew back with another arrow, holding her position as the woman danced back into her line of fire. Her golden sword flashed brilliantly as it sliced at the beast, eliciting frustrated and increasingly weaker roars.

Aela fingered the quail-feathered fletching impatiently, waiting for the other woman to give another opportunity to fire. The dragon reared up, pivoting to face Aela before it came crashing back down. The huntress lowered her bow to her side, keeping the bowstring taut as she strafed to be in its blind spot once more. She quickly raised her weapon and released the arrow. A grin worked its way to her lips as it struck the shredded soft spot on the dragon, plunging deep into the wounded area. The dragon jerked violently, rearing its head back with a pathetic roar before it collapsed. The dwarven-clad woman jumped back, narrowly avoiding one of its wings. The beast let out a strangled sigh and twitched before lying motionless on the ground.

Aela took a few steps back in surprise as the beast began to crumble away; its scales, flesh, and muscle chipping away as if it were on fire. Her arms fell limply by her sides as she watched it deteriorate into nothing but bones and a strange light soared out of its body. Tendrils of purple, orange, and yellow shot through the air and swirled around the other warrior. The woman tilted her head back as the lights engulfed her and entered her body. The huntress stared in awe as the meaning sunk in. That was the dragon's soul entering the woman.

It _was_ Selene.

She lowered her head, turning to look straight at Aela. Though she was wearing a helmet, the huntress could feel the Dragonborn's stare scanning her. Observing her. Aela felt incredibly self-conscious as Selene slowly began to walk towards her, sheathing her bloodied sword. She felt a lump rising in her throat as the woman drew closer. She stopped a few feet away and removed her shining helmet. The crimson haired woman was rooted to the spot as she tucked the helm under her left arm, tossing her hair back and forth to un-stick it from her face a neck.

Aela swallowed, watching as Selene slowly opened her hauntingly green eyes, taking a few more steps forward. Her lusciously full lips cracked into a soft smile and Aela felt thousands of butterflies take flight in the pit of her stomach.

"That was an extraordinary shot. I'm glad I finally got to see you use your skills in battle," she said while extending her free hand to the huntress. She was glad to see her skills? Really? Aela fought the urge to let her mouth fall open in disbelief. Realizing she was standing like a fool, she clasped the Dragonborn's armored forearm firmly, both women shaking their arms once before letting go. "I don't think we were properly introduced the last time we met."

"Aela the Huntress." She stated simply with a smile, hoping her nervousness wouldn't break through. Though, she gasped in surprise as her sensitive ears heard a pained groan. "Farkas!" the huntress took off without a second thought, pumping her arms as she ran as quickly as she could to her fallen comrade. She skidded to a halt next to her Shield Brother, who was lying on his side with a fair amount of blood pooling around him. Selene reached her side, immediately crouching down to study the man. She removed her gauntlet, sticking her fingers in the blood and bringing close to her face. The Dragonborn sniffed it curiously while rubbing her bloodied fingers together. Aela watched inquisitively, trying to determine what she was doing.

"This isn't his blood," she stated with relief, extending her hand to the huntress. She raised her eyebrows suspiciously before leaning forward and taking a whiff. "Smell the difference?" Selene asked and Aela nodded slowly. She did. It smelled of sulfur and smoke and was much thicker that human blood. She pursed her lips. How could a mere mortal tell such a difference?

Selene rolled Farkas onto his back, scanning him carefully for injuries. As the woman examined him, Aela rubbed the back of her head. She had hit her head pretty hard on the rock and a nice goose-egg was forming. She frowned; that was going to hurt for a while. The woman shook it off, dropping her hand to her side. Selene was busy holding an orange ball of light next to Farkas' head, deep in concentration.

Aela dared a peek at the woman beside her. Her eyebrows were furrowed fiercely as she held out her spell, a bead of sweat trickling down the side of her slender face. Her long black hair was plastered to the sides of her face and neck, presumably from wearing her helmet. The huntress smirked slightly. She hated helmets for that very reason. That, and they hindered her sight and hearing. The Dragonborn faltered, throwing her free arm out to brace herself from falling. Aela felt herself flinch forward to catch the woman if she fell and bit her lip, hoping she hadn't seen her. Selene, however, was immersed in her task and she let out a sigh in relief.

The spell stopped abruptly and the woman leaned back, propping her elbows on her knees. "He should be fine, he was barely injured. The dragon probably just hit him the wrong way," she said, taking a deep breath and slipping her gauntlet back on. Aela allowed herself a sigh in relief. Farkas _was_ a hard headed guy. She caught Selene look at her out of the corner of her eye and returned the gaze. "You shouldn't stay out here for long. I've seen quite a few dragons on my way here. I can help you get him back to Whiterun if you need the help." The huntress gave her a nod, gladly accepting the assistance. Her Shield Brother wasn't exactly the lightest man on earth…

The women moved in sync to scoop up the unconscious man, heaving his bulk over their shoulders. They moved forward slowly, making a comfortable but brisk pace. Aela looked forward to their destination. She could clearly see Dragonsreach jutting out of the city, overlooking the plains. At least they weren't that far away.

They walked in silence for a while, both of them grunting and readjusting their grip on the man they carried every once and a while. After trekking for an hour, the pair reached the small stream outside the city and decided to take a rest.

Selene fell to her bottom with an exasperated sigh beside the tiny river, ripping her gloves off and dipping her hands in the stream. Aela followed quickly, cupping her hands in the water and splashing it onto her sweaty face and neck. Hauling Farkas this far had been slightly more difficult than either of them had anticipated. After drenching herself in the icy water, Aela took a few sips of the pure liquid. It was extremely refreshing to the exhausted woman and she sighed pleasantly, adjusting so she was sitting cross-legged and tilted her head back, shutting her eyes. The water still lingering on her painted face dripped down her neck, running to her cleavage and out of sight. The huntress was completely unaware of the woman beside her watching the droplets run from her face to her breasts.

Aela lowered her head, Selene looking away with a blush, and opened her eyes. She looked at the back of the black haired woman's head as a question bubbled within her. She swallowed, finding her words.

"So Selene," the huntress started, gaining the other woman's attention. The Dragonborn looked over at her, her cheeks a light pink. "I understand you've been all over Skyrim by now," she said while fiddling with her thumbs. Hopefully, their first real conversation wouldn't go to shit. Selene nodded, sitting up straighter.

"I have. My duties are very… scattered. As soon as I finish up one thing in a city, someone runs up to me flailing their arms and begging me to help them with _their _problems," she shifted to face her body to Aela, looking to her feet. "Being the Dragonborn is a lot harder than I would have ever expected." She let out a defeated sigh, delicately picking up a smooth pebble and rolling it on her bare palm. The huntress looked to her with pity, examining her face. She looked worn and tired. Light bags hung underneath her eyes from exhaustion.

"Why don't you just say no?" Aela asked, genuinely curious. She didn't have to help people with their trivial problems. Selene looked up with a tired smile.

"Because it's expected of me. Everyone who knows who I am immediately assumes I'm a blessing from the Divines sent to straighten out the chaos in their lives, no matter how serious or petty," she looked back down to the stone in her hand, falling quiet. Aela pursed her lips, carefully constructing her next question.

"Once we reach Jorrvaskr you could lay low for a while and get some rest. Gods' know you could use it." Selene let out a laugh at her statement, causing the huntress to smile. It was so carefree and light that she couldn't help but laugh as well. As the two slowly calmed, Selene locked eyes with Aela while holding her smile.

"I might just do that," she said with a wink and stood, dropping the pebble and slipping her golden gauntlets back on. Aela followed suit, the women walking to Farkas and hauling him up with some difficulty yet again. The huntress grunted as his dead-weight bore down on her and gritted her teeth, standing straight and walking forward with the Dragonborn.


	4. Regrets

**Oohhh two chapters in (pretty much) the same day? How delightful. This one is a bit shorter than the others, but I don't think you'll be disappointed at the end ;). Enjoy my lovelies, and Don't forget to leave a review. It only takes a few seconds :D**

**And ****3,230 Views** and **1,544 Visitors** in just the 16 days it's been up? I love you people =3. Lets make this my best story yet, k? =3  


I stared at the half eaten loaf of bread in my hand in frustration. The talk with Eorlund hadn't been nearly as helpful as I thought it would have been. The old codger had simply said 'it will feel right' and promptly ignored the rest of my questions. I snorted loudly, flicking a few crumbs off the crust of my meal. A breeze blew past me, causing my crimson hair to dance annoyingly in my face. I swatted it away with my free hand, glaring at the stone floor of the eating area.

I could hear a few birds chirping over the walls and that damn religious zealot screaming about Talos in the square. The training yard was completely empty besides myself. I blankly shifted my gaze to an unused dummy, staring at the bucket that masqueraded as its head, letting my thoughts drift to the events that had transpired earlier that day.

After Selene and I had hauled Farkas to Jorrvaskr, we had quickly sought out the Harbinger. The old man had been thoroughly shocked when we drug my Shield Brother into the hall and recounted the story for him. She had taken my suggestion in asking refuge at the mead hall and Kodlak politely granted her request, telling her to take her time in recuperating. We had parted ways after a short goodbye and here I was, munching angrily on my dinner while Selene was sleeping.

In my bed.

It had been extremely tempting to curl up beside her and take a nap myself, as I was exhausted. But, I resisted the urge and trudged out to find the old blacksmith. Who hadn't helped at all.

I looked away from the practice dummy and to the overhang above me, scooting down in my chair. Was the Dragonborn going to join us or just take a well-deserved rest in my bed and take off again? There was no telling what she would do. After all, she _had_ told me that she was incredibly busy with the ridiculous requests and pleas from simple-minded citizens. Saving Gods know what and Gods know where. I shook my head lazily. No point in thinking about it. I'd find out her intentions soon enough when she awoke.

However, I didn't have to wait long.

After taking a few forced bites from my bread, Vilkas stormed out of the looming double doors with a scowl, Selene closely behind him. I curiously sat up from my seat in the corner as they walked to the training yard and I could hear my Shield Brother telling her to take a few swings at him. The Dragonborn looked at him uneasily, obviously conflicted about attacking him.

"Don't worry, I can take it," I heard him boast as she stared. With a shrug, she unsheathed her glistening long sword and readied for an attack. I sat straight up, craning my neck around the support beam in front of me to get a better view.

They stood there for a few minutes, Selene studying Vilkas' defensive stance carefully. Without warning, she struck his right calf hard, sending him down on one knee with a yelp. Her golden boot caught the underside of his chin and he fell to his back, looking up to see her sword pointing ominously at his throat. She had a coy smile as her second-long attack put him at her mercy and I couldn't help but smile. She had certainly put his egomaniacal ass in his place. Vilkas remained on the ground in shock as he stared up her blade.

"I thought you said you could take me," She cooed to him mockingly. I couldn't help but laugh; he had probably insulted her on their way out here. That wouldn't shy away from Vilkas' normal pig-headed demeanor. He growled at her in irritation, swatting her sword away and rolling to stand. As he turned to face her, he mumbled a few heated words and dropped his sword into her grasp, stomping off. Selene stood there with a confused look plastered on her delicate face, watching the man run away with his tail between his legs to go mend his broken ego.

Vilkas eyed me angrily as he stormed by my hiding spot and I raised an eyebrow at him. He snorted, wrenching open the doors to the mead hall and slamming them shut. I felt myself smile in amusement, leaning back in my chair. My silver eyes scanned for Selene and spotted her dragging her feet up the path to the Skyforge. My smile faded. Why did she look so upset?

I resisted the urge to run after her and confront her. I would have the chance to speak with her later. I watched as she slowly disappeared from sight and stood with a sigh. Perhaps I should take a nap…

* * *

Aela bit her lip to avoid growling in irritation. Just as she had sat on the edge of her bed, Skjor had come marching in. The huntress had hardly been paying attention to his ramblings, repressing yawns and nodding as he paused in a pseudo-agreement. She stood sleepily, attempting to coax her mind into listening to the older Companion. He continued talking about whatever it was until there was a soft knock on her door. Aela glanced over to see a wary-looking Selene slumped on the doorframe grasping her shield.

The huntress stood straighter, watching the woman intently as she pushed herself off the doorframe and extended her arm. Aela took the shield gratefully, holding it tightly in her grasp.

"Ah, good. I've been waiting for this. I'm glad you decided to join us," she said while looking at her refined shield. The smoothed edges shone brightly in the torchlight. She looked back up to the Dragonborn. "I saw you gave Vilkas quite a thrashing."

"Don't let Vilkas catch you saying that," Skjor mumbled in the corner. Aela paid him no mind.

"Tell me, do you think you could handle Vilkas in a real right?" She asked with a smirk. There was really no need to ask her such a thing after witnessing the fight herself, but she couldn't help her curiosity. Vilkas _was_ just testing her mettle. He was a very skilled warrior and could hold his own in battle. Selene gave her a cocky grin.

"I would kill him before he drew his sword." She stated simply. Aela widened her eyes a bit at the boast.

"Whoa, ease up there. We're rough, but there's no need to kill a Shield Brother over a dispute." Her eyes narrowed and her smile returned. "I like your fire, though," she gave her a small wink before continuing. "Let's have Farkas show you where you'll be resting your head." The Dragonborn glanced at Aela's bed in protest, obviously content with the idea of stealing her bedchambers. Aela suppressed a blush at the motion.

"Farkas!" Skjor's booming voice echoed through the halls and Selene flinched at the unexpected shout. Heavy footfalls resounded throughout the basement and Farkas appeared in the doorway. He grunted at the summons, looking between the Circle members.

"You call me?" he said dryly and Aela glared at him.

"Of course we did, icebrain," the huntress jerked her head to Selene. "Show her where the new bloods sleep."

"New blood?" he looked to the Dwarven-clad woman propped on the doorway and smiled. "Oh, I remember you. Come on, follow me." He grunted before walking towards the main corridor. The Dragonborn pushed herself off the frame and trudged behind him out of sight. Aela could hear Farkas explaining some things before his voice faded away.

"All these younglings scampering about," Skjor shook his head and crossed his arms. Aela looked at him with a frown.

"Worried one of them is going take your place?" she teased him, setting her shield down gently on the table. She turned to her bed, trudging over to it and plopping down on the side. The man gave her a glare.

"Hmph. Just worried their going to get themselves killed is all," he snorted in reply. The huntress let out a short laugh, rolling her shoulders.

"Of course. Now get out, I'm going to bed." She stated shortly, gaining a growl from Skjor. He stomped out of the room, thankfully shutting the door softly behind him. She stretched widely and released a yawn that had been threatening to burst out for minutes. She lazily kicked off her boots and laid on the bed. Some straw poked her in the back as she adjusted to comfort, but she ignored it. Her silver eyes slid shut quickly and she sighed contently, drifting off into a peaceful sleep

* * *

The day had been incredibly boring.

Aela had been wandering around Jorrvaskr anxiously all day. Why, she didn't know. Besides butting into conversations and correcting Farkas about the fight with the dragon the day before, she'd been falling out to her normal routine. Eat some, sit around. Go train in the yard for a while, eat some. Sit around. Drink a mug of mead, sit around some more. Then sit even more and drink.

Not very exciting at all.

Aela fidgeted in her seat, stirring her stew uninterestedly with her face resting in her palm. Her Shield Siblings sang and drank as they normally did, over exaggerating tales of their most recent missions and gossiping. Most of which was centered around the new recruit. Selene, of course. Most of them were dumbfounded that the Dragonborn had joined the order after saving Aela and Farkas from a dragon. Of course, with Farkas' ego, he was attempting to lead everyone to believe that _he_ had slain the beast and only passed out because of the heat. Though, the huntress was sure everyone could see through his bullshit. All the eager gossipers would swarm Selene once she returned for her recount of the story; that she was sure of. They were always foaming at the mouth for the juiciest news.

Aela dropped her spoon beside the bowl, bored of stirring the untouched meal. Her eyes stayed locked on her mug, which was completely full and undisturbed as well. She had no interest in drinking or eating for some reason, though her stomach growled in protest. She shrugged, delicately retrieving the discarded utensil and scooping up a hearty serving. She forced the bite down and licked her lips. The stew was absolutely delicious, but she just didn't want it.

The huntress sighed, continuing to force-feed herself. But only after a few bites, she dropped the spoon again. The food was making her feel queasy. Aela sat back in her chair, propping her elbow on the armrest and returning her cheek to her palm. Something was wrong and her mind was nagging at her, but she couldn't tell what it was.

The front doors of the mead hall opened and closed, allowing a gust of chilly air within the warm residence. When everything went quiet, Aela drifted her eyes to the doors. There stood Selene in her Dwarven armor, her masked face scanning the room. Do doubt feeling a little unnerved by all the stares she was getting. Her armor was dented horribly in a few places and dried blood splotched the otherwise shining golden armor. The Dragonborn slowly made her way into the room, making a beeline for Farkas. The roar of gossip resumed and Aela sighed again. The poor woman got more attention than she wanted. Or did she want it…?

Farkas was visibly applauding her for a job well done, handing her a small pouch of gold. Selene accepted it and gave him a small nod before trudging off to the downstairs area. Aela frowned, turning her head to see the top of her helmet disappear behind the stairwell.

The woman hadn't even glanced at her. Aela bit her lip hard and scowled at the edge of the table bitterly. Was she that unimportant? She snorted, kicking her leg out at an invisible pest.

Aela widened her eyes as she caught herself. She was jealous. Jealous just because the Dragonborn hadn't looked at her. The tips of her fingers brushed her lips delicately at the realization and she stood. She needed to lie down and straighten her thoughts. The huntress quickly stepped away from the table and made her way to the bedchambers.

She shut the basement door softy, abruptly stopping as she heard pained moans from the room in front of her. She narrowed her eyes, taking a few hesitant steps forward. Metal clattered against the floor loudly, followed by another painful gasp. Aela cautiously walked towards the whelps' quarters, peeking her head inside to the room on the left. Empty. Her head turned to the other room to see Selene sitting on a bed in the corner, her chest plate rocking slowly on the ground. The huntress's mouth went dry as she looked at the woman, topless save for her bra. She was undoing the fastenings on her leggings when she noticed Aela peeking at her. She smiled at the woman and the huntress blushed.

"No need to be shy," she spoke softly, letting out another hiss in pain. Aela advanced hesitantly, standing in front of the woman and gasping. There was a large gash on her ribs, starting just beneath her left breast and snaking around to her buttocks. Selene caught her stared and gave a weak smile. The huntress cleared her throat, noticing a roll of bandages on the bed beside her.

"Why don't you use magick to heal yourself?" she asked, nodding to the bandages, "I've seen your proficiency in the healing arts." Aela crouched down when the Dragonborn continued her task of removing her leggings.

"I can't. I used all of my magicka healing more serious injuries. Magick is a… tricky art. If you exhaust your abilities too much it can kill you. I can just bandage this up until I can use my magick again." She finally managed to remove the dented plate on her right thigh, revealing another wound. It was a much smaller cut, bruised heavily around the incision. Aela's mouth went dry once more as she slowly peeled off the offending armor, allowing her to see the Nord's nearly nude body.

'_Divines, grant me control…'_

Selene shuddered slightly, grabbing the cloth dressing with thin fingers. The huntress swallowed hard as her eyes shamelessly roamed the woman's body. She had a _very_ nice build. Slender, yet rippling with muscle. Her abs were nicely toned and her thighs were a modest, yet a voluptuous size. Her beasts were full but not overwhelming, fitting perfectly on her chest. Aela swallowed again, hesitating.

"Would you like help dressing your wounds?" she asked quietly. Selene looked up from the bandages, smiling politely and extending her arm. Aela took the roll for her, allowing her fingertips to linger on the woman's palm for a second.

She began to unroll the cloth, shuffling her knees to be closer to Selene. She felt her cheeks burning as she came to be crouching between her legs. She swore inwardly, knowing her face paint could only cover up so much. She cleared her throat softly, taking a deep breath to steady herself and began wrapping Selene's abdomen. Though, she missed the Dragonborn's smirk as she noticed her blush.

Aela carefully wound the dressings around the woman, being extremely attentive to the tightness of the cloth. She could feel her ears tingling, presumably turning red from her predicament. Her fingers danced delicately across Selene's soft flesh, concentrating with all her might on her task. Not to touch and roam. She swallowed another lump that had nestled itself in the pit of her throat.

"You said you were glad to see my skills in battle yesterday. How have you heard of me?" she asked slightly awkwardly. The Dragonborn flinched, brushing some of her raven hair to the side. Aela kept her focus on the bandages, waiting for a reply.

"You're well spoken for. I've heard a few people talk of your prowess with a bow and of the hunt. Your name is revered here in Whiterun as well. The citizens respect you." The huntress felt her blush deepen. Was that true? She had never heard people speaking of her before, but maybe that was because she paid little attention to gossip.

"How did you know it was me?" she asked curiously, looking up to Selene. The woman gave her a sweet smile and she paused.

"Your description. The armor you wear is incredibly unique, worn by the Nords of old, if I'm not mistaken. When I was told of your appearance and occupation, I remembered you from the farm we met in." the huntress felt her flaming cheeks cool slightly, relived the redness of them was finally fading away. She looked down quickly to return to her task and the blush returned immediately and spread to the top of her chest.

Her hands were resting on Selene's hips.

Aela tucked her chin low, attempting the best she could to hide her redness. However, she felt a soft hand slip underneath her chin, bringing her gaze back up.

"Why are you so embarrassed?" the Dragonborn spoke softly, keeping her hand where it was. Aela was sure her entire body turned red as she leaned down, ignoring her wound as she brought her face closer. Her green eyes bore deeply into the huntress's silver ones, waiting for an answer. She was so close Aela could feel her hot breath on her cheeks.

'_Oh Gods, give me the strength to not ravage this woman where she sits…'_

"I-its nothing…" she whispered back, trembling from the closeness and her desire. Selene moved to press her lips onto the huntress's ear lightly.

"Bullshit," she whispered, her lips brushing against her ear and sending chills down Aela's spine. She gasped sharply as the woman's hand snaked around to the back of her neck, holding her in place. "Now tell me, why are you so embarrassed?" she asked again, pressing her lips flush against her ear.

Aela wanted to cry.

Selene's breath engulfed her ear and skimmed down the back of her neck, causing certain parts of her anatomy to tingle. She gasped again, unable to answer. The Dragonborn smiled against her sensitive flesh, pulling back to meet her eyes. Her green eyes twinkled mischievously, waiting for her answer. She was _teasing _her.

What Aela did next, she was sure she was going to regret for the rest of her life.

Her hands shot up to both sides of the black haired woman's face and crashed her lips into Selene's, causing her green eyes to widen. The huntress pushed her back onto the bed, leaning over her. The Dragonborn shut her eyes, moaning as the kiss was deepened. Aela savored the feeling of her soft, full lips against her own. She let out a moan herself, running her hands up and down Selene's sides.

Aela licked her bottom lip, begging the woman to let her further the kiss. Selene complied, parting her lips and snaking her tongue. The women both moaned as their tongues rubbed against each other, allowing them each to taste their unique flavors. Selene swirled around the huntress's tongue, reaching up to snake her arms around her neck. She pulled the redhead closer, pressing their bodies together. Aela shoved her arms underneath her shoulders.

They kissed passionately, roaming each others mouths and bodies for the longest time before Aela realized the severity of what she was doing. She shot up, panting and backing away quickly. Selene looked to her, confused as the huntress stared at her with wide eyes and a hand over her mouth. The crimson haired woman trembled, dropping her hand slightly.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she mumbled before dashing out of the room. Selene laid back on the bed, a triumphant smile crossing her lips as she touched them as well, savoring the taste of the huntress lingering there. '_Next time, Aela…'_

* * *

Aela pressed her shaking body against the cold walls of the Underforge, sliding down to fall hard on her bottom. Her body shook terribly from the pleasure still coursing through her.

"What have I done…" she whispered to herself, hugging her body. Their kiss had felt so wonderful, so _right._ Was Selene just kissing her back to tease her more or did she mean it? Her mind raced frantically and a hand slipped down between her legs. She was extremely wet. All because of a kiss. Never had the woman been so turned on before and the feeling was overwhelming.

She drew her knees to her chest, trying to sort out what had happened in her head. The huntress couldn't come to a conclusion. Too many possibilities were running rampant in her mind. She stood shakily, she couldn't sit still. Not right now.

Aela made her way hastily the secret exit of the Underforge, determined to find a cold bath.


	5. Metamorphosis

**Ohh yes! Updating quite nicely here! and here comes the ever-popular werewolf transformation. With exact Dialouge! How splendid. Lolol well enjoy my pretties, don't forget to leave a comment =3**

Aela stood impatiently in the Underforge, her claws raking against the stone as she hopped from one foot to the other. Skjor had told her to go in and wait several minutes ago and he had yet to bring in Selene. She shivered at the thought. Ever since their kiss, Aela had been avoiding the woman like the plague. She just couldn't bring herself to face Selene, _no matter_ how right it had felt. The huntress was unsure of what to say or do, so she did what she was good at. She hid. The other Circle members had been telling her constantly over the past month that Selene wished to speak with her, but the woman managed to pull a lie out of her ass every time. Aela realized that she was probably hurting the Dragonborn, but she just didn't know how to handle these emotions.

Her fuzzy ears twitched as the stone door scraped to life, moonlight pouring in and revealing Skjor and Selene. The woman was dressed casually in fine green robes with an Orcish long sword dangling from her hip, taking the werewolf by surprise. She had never seen the black haired Nord in anything but armor. Aela took a wary step back as the Dragonborn spotted her, immediately drawing her sword. The man caught her arm roughly, forcing her weapon down to her side and clearing his throat.

"I would hope you recognize Aela, even in this form." He stated lowly. Selene's mouth fell open in surprise, dropping her Orcish sword to the ground with a large clatter. She slowly stepped forward to the werewolf, staring into the beast's large yellow eyes. Aela pinned her ears to the back of head as she approached. The Dragonborn stopped in front of the large creature, studying her.

"Aela?" she whispered softly. The huntress let out a small whimper, lowering her muzzle to be eye level with the woman. She wanted her to know she was safe. Selene raised a hesitant hand and touched her snout gently, her pale fingers running up her face and into her bushy mane. Aela nudged her arm with her nose, lowering her head further as the woman brushed the fur between her ears. She let out a growl, startling the Nord and she closed her eyes. After weeks of carefully avoiding her, here she was. Crouching down in her werewolf form and being petted like a puppy. Of course. She mentally berated herself for agreeing to this and suppressed a snort.

"She's agreed to be your forebear." Skjor continued, walking up to the ceremonial bowl adorning the middle of the room. "That pitiful ceremony behind the hall does not befit warriors like us. You are due more honor than some calls and feasting," he ran his hand along the smooth edge of the bowl, his good eye looking up to her. Selene was still staring at Aela, stroking the soft fur atop her head. "We do this in secret because Kodlak is too busy trying to throw away this great gift we've been granted. He thinks we've been cursed, but we've been blessed. How can something that gives this kind of prowess be a curse?" the Dragonborn tilted her head to the man, listening to his speech as she continued to pet the werewolf before her.

"So we take matters into our own hands. To reach the heights of the Companions, you must join with us in the shared blood of the wolf." He stared at her intently and she dropped her arms, turning to face him. "Are you prepared to join your spirit with the beast world, friend?"

Selene bit her lip in contemplation, glancing at stone floor. Aela tilted her head to Skjor, snorting loudly at him. The man understood her meaning and nodded, crossing his arms as the black haired Nord looked down in thought. Maybe she wasn't ready for this yet. Aela took a step away, unsure of how the woman before was going to react to the offer. Selene casted her eyes back to Aela, green staring to yellow.

"I'm ready," she said, keeping her gaze on the huntress. The werewolf's ears perked up in excitement. She would blend?

"Very well," Skjor said, walking around the stone bowl to Aela's other side and drew his dagger. The Dragonborn took a step forward as she furrowed her brows, but was stopped by a large clawed hand. Aela looked to her intensely as Skjor raised her other arm, slitting her wrist deep. The beast let out a deep growl in pain and Selene furrowed her brows angrily. She held her hand firmly on the woman's chest as her blood poured into the bowl, filling it quickly.

"Don't worry, sister. Aela will recover quickly." Skjor said with an amused chuckle. The Dragonborn looked away from him angrily, running her hand across the side of Aela's muzzle once more in sympathy. The shallow bowl was filled to the brim with crimson liquid and the huntress dropped her furry arm to her side, only to have the woman in front of her snatch it up. An orange light bounced on her palm and she applied it to the beast's wrist, soothing the wound and coaxing the flesh to return to its natural position. She was healed quickly and Selene sighed contently, feeling much better about the situation now.

She turned to the blood filled bowl, staring at it questioningly. "I have to drink this?" she asked, looking to Skjor. He nodded, motioning for her to continue. She swallowed hard, taking a shaky step towards the stone bowl. Ever so slowly, she cupped her hands and dipped them in, watching the crimson liquid drip off her fingers as she removed her hands from the bowl. Selene looked to the werewolf behind her one last time with a subtle fear in her eyes before hesitantly sipping from her hands.

Aela jumped forward with a bark as she fell to the ground screaming. She knew the effects of ingesting tainted blood were almost immediate, but it did little to easy her racing heart. Selene cried out, tears streaming down her face as her bones cracked loudly.

"Aela, through the back!" Skjor yelled out as he too called upon his beast blood. "I'll track her if she goes through the city. Keep an eye on the front gates!" he managed to yell to her as his metamorphosis quickly took place. He stood as a wolf, roaring to Aela as she bounded to the exit. She tore her eyes away from the woman writhing on the ground with difficulty, jumping down through the hole.

Aela bared her teeth furiously as she reached the exit, leaping into the night. She could still hear strangled screaming, shortly being replaced by a ferocious snarl. Her transformation was complete now. She was bound to run through the unsuspecting city. The huntress took off, running around the unguarded Northern side of the hold's walls to avoid detection. The wind whistled madly in her ears as she ran, bounding as quickly as she could to the other side of the hold.

Aela slowed as she came around to the front, keeping a safe distance from the front gate. She crept stealthily behind a hill, crouching low behind a large boulder and peeking over it.

And waited.

The minutes crawled by as she hid there, resisting the urge to bound into the city as she heard the cries of the citizens and roars of the Selene and Skjor. The waiting was unbearable to her. After several tense minutes, her ears perked as she heard one of the guards screaming from the walls and saw them frantically running about. They had escaped the city.

A blur shot out onto the road and Aela took off in pursuit, quickly gaining on the other werewolf. Skjor was close behind but losing distance, however. With a quick glance behind her, she saw an arrow sticking out of his thigh as his form grew smaller and smaller. She snarled angrily, but she knew he would find refuge until his blood returned to normal.

Aela slammed her paws into the ground harder as Selene picked up her pace, gaining a lead on the huntress. She let out a feral growl in pleasure. It had been so long since they had inducted a new member to the Circle, and the pursuit was exhilarating.

The woman led her into the wilds, far to the North-West of Whiterun. However, Selene was becoming a smaller in the distance. The huntress struggled to keep up, feeling her wolf-blood running thin. Aela promptly began to panic, desperately searching for a human to sustain her.

However, there were only beasts present on the cold night.

Aela fell to the ground with a frustrated scream, jumping back to her feet as fast as she could and taking off. She was thankful that due to Hircine's magic, she still bore her armor and weapons. It wasn't going to help her at all though. Selene's figure was but a distant speck bounding up a far mountain. She swore under her breath, frantically tearing after the beast.

After running for nearly an hour, the exhausted huntress stumbled over the rocky outcropping of the mountain. She willed herself to move forward, only driven by the determination to find the Dragonborn. It was difficult. Selene just so happened to run up a damned mountain in the middle of a blizzard. The air was thin and crisp, making her throat scratchy and leaving her winded. Her nose was numb from the snow beating mercilessly at her face, making it incredibly hard to catch a scent anymore. Her armor was soaked, though it barely protected her from the elements in the first place, and was freezing from the low temperature. Icicles hung from her shoulder pads and hair, clicking together softly in the harsh wind. And to make matters that much worse, she could only see a feet few ahead of her.

But somehow, she pushed herself onward.

She squinted her blurry eyes ahead on the path, scanning fruitlessly for any signs of the werewolf. Aela took a jerky step forward, feeling the ever-present cold to her bones. Though her Nordic heritage gave her natural resilience to the cold, it didn't help very much in conditions like this. She gritted her teeth, unable to feel her lips splitting open and beginning to bleed. This was bad. Really bad. If Selene had transformed back already, the woman would likely have frozen to death by now.

However, Aela continued. Contemptuously pushing forward as she caught a faint whiff of the woman here and there. The storm raged on, threatening to blow the woman off the bluffs of the mountain.

Her hands dug deep into the snow as she fell, slipping on a patch of ice. She remained in her position, heaving. It was becoming harder to breathe with each breath of precious air. She looked at her hands groggily, noticing her fingers where a deep red. Not surprising. She tilted her head curiously in front of her to see the path she was taken.

And her heart fluttered with hope.

A few feet away, there was a human lying in the snow, already partially covered from the blizzard. Aela scrambled to her feet, stumbling over to the body and brushing the fluffy white snow off of it. Deep gashes riddled its torso and the man's throat had been ripped out. Selene was here. She whipped her head around, spotting another body through the haze. As she approached that one, there were two more side by side in the distance. Bandits.

Aela followed the trail of increasing corpses, carefully stepping around them. Until she found a staircase of stone. She squinted to the top of the stairs, faintly making out ruins looking over the encampment. She let out a sigh at her luck. The huntress carefully ascended, dodging a few bodies lying partially covered on them. The walk was a long one for the fatigued woman, each step drawing more of her power on the stone flight of steps.

Her iced boot came down hard as she reached the top, making her way to the entrance of the ruins. She could barely smell Selene through her battered nose, hoping and praying the woman was still here. She reached the keep, her body filling with a renewed vigor as she saw the door was caved in. Mustering her strength, Aela ran forward. The old wood was riddled with claw marks. She wasted no time, jumping over the broken timber and inside. The huntress descended a small staircase into the main foyer of the ruins, nearly collapsing in relief.

Selene was huddled in the corner, shaking.

Aela ran over to her, falling to her knees in front of the nude woman. She raised a shaky hand to her cheek, cupping it. The Dragonborn was unconscious. With a sigh, she removed her hand and looked over her shoulder. There was a smoldering fire pit in the far corner of the room with a cooking spit over it. A bedroll was laid out beside the cooking area and the wall was lined with quartered firewood. Aela let out a sigh in relief, turning back to the huddled woman and scooping her up. She felt her cheeks flush as she nearly dropped Selene in her weakened state. The huntress shook it off, gathering all her strength to carry the woman to the bedroll.

Aela tucked her into the fur-lined sleeping mat gently, pulling the material up to her chin and went to making the fire back up. The huntress labored for several minutes, stoking the fire, fanning it and building the flames. With a satisfied smirk, she stepped back. The flames curled around the wood viciously and heat began to permeate the room. Aela looked to her right, noticing a table stacked with food and ingredients. Well, the bandits weren't going to need this anymore. Walking over, she picked up a large roll of cheese, a few slices of roasted Horker meat, and a loaf of bread. She tucked them under her arm, glancing at a rolled up pelt on the floor. With a smile she scooped it up as well, making her way back over to Selene.

She placed her bounty down beside the woman, returning to the table to pick up two unopened bottles of mead. Aela made her way back to the fire, setting the bottles down next to the food and picking up the pelt. She unrolled the large bundle, smiling at her luck. It was a bear pelt. She shuffled to the foot of the bedroll, carefully draping it over the sleeping woman to provide some extra heat. Satisfied with her work, she trudged next to the food and fell unceremoniously to the floor with a groan.

Her limbs tingled from the heat returning to them and her exhaustion. Propping her elbows on her knees, she cupped her face with a sigh. This pursuit had been extremely difficult. Aela rubbed her face gently before dropping her hands into her lap. She could have easily died from the unforgiving elements looking for the Dragonborn. A small smile curved at her lips. But that wasn't the case. She was here alive. Albeit a bit frozen and hungry, but alive. She grabbed the bread, taking a large bite out of it. She needed to build her strength back up.

A soft moan prompted her to turn her head behind her. Selene was stirring, her soft features twisting in pain. Slowly, her green irises peeked from behind her lids and drifted lazily around. They shot open as the woman sat bolt upright in panic. Aela twisted her body to place a firm arm on her chest, pushing her back down.

"Easy. You're safe." She whispered softly as Selene's wide eyes met hers. The woman began to relax, succumbing to the huntress's gentle push.

"What just happened?" she croaked, shivering slightly. Aela scooted to face her, careful not to hit her in the face with her knees.

"You were born into the pack," the huntress said softly, looking into Selene's confused eyes. She let out a short laugh. "I almost envy you. That first time is always the most… intense. You gave me more trouble than Farkas did at his first turning." Aela reached out, placing a hand firmly on her shoulder. "Yours was not an easy transformation…" she trailed off, glancing away from the woman. She gave her shoulder a small squeeze before removing her hand to grab the small bit of food she had gathered. Water trickled down the back of her arms unpleasantly as the thawing ice dripped off her shoulder pads. She ignored it, placing the food before her.

"I know you may not be hungry, but try to eat. You need to rebuild your strength." Aela said as she broke the bread in half, placing the half she had taken a bite out of on her knee. She then pulled out her dagger, slicing the yellow cheese as evenly as she could. As she divided the meat, Selene studied her curiously.

Satisfied with her work, Aela pushed the Dragonborn's portion of the food to her. The nude woman sat up, covering her lower half with the mat and sat cross legged. She daintily picked up her bread, nibbling on the edges. Aela followed suit, picking up her half of cheese and taking a bite. She was slightly surprised; all of this food was fresh. How could bandits get food to keep so well up in this unforgiving location?

"You don't look so good, you know." Selene spoke quietly. The huntress raised her eyes to her, quirking an eyebrow. The woman coarsely laughed before continuing. "You look chilled to the bone. Where are we?"

Aela bit her chapped lips. That was a good question. "I'm not entirely sure…" she said slowly, licking her lips. "All I know is that we're to the Northwest of Whiterun." The woman nodded, looking back down to her bread. It wasn't the answer she had hoped for. The pair grew quiet, both chewing on their meals in the silence. Aela noticed that Selene continued to shiver uncontrollably and it began to worry her. How long had she been in her human form before she had found her?

The Dragonborn finished half of her meal, washing it down with a few sips of mead. The shivering woman slowly laid down, her eyes closing lazily. Aela moved the food away from the bedroll, keeping her eyes locked on the woman. Her chest rose and fell in deep, rhythmic motions as her breathing leveled out. She was already asleep. The huntress sighed, pushing her own food away with a yawn. As Selene rolled onto her side, a grin crossed her face as she noticed the bedroll could fit two people. She eyed the shaking woman for a minute, crawling to the other side of the mat.

Well, she didn't want the woman to freeze.

Aela carefully slipped underneath the blankets, curling up behind the Dragonborn. She hesitated for a moment before pressing her body against her back. The huntress wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling herself ever closer. A blush made its way to her cheeks as she stuffed her still frozen nose into the thick locks of hair before her, breathing in the woman's intoxicating scent. The smell of the forest and fire. It was utterly unique.

Aela sighed, her mind roaming. All the running and hiding. The subterfuge and lies. An entire month of slipping in and out of the shadows at the mere sight of the woman. She shuddered. Now, she was curled against the naked Dragonborn. Spooning her.

She shook her head lightly. Selene was in need of assistance at the moment, nothing more. After this, she could go about her merry way of tucking tail and running whenever she showed her face. She squeezed her eyes shut. Why did this have to be so difficult to deal with?

"Aela…" she heard a soft whisper and froze, her body going rigid. Was she still asleep or calling her?

"Uh… yes?" she answered softly, holding her breath. There was a soft moan and Selene shuffled, pressing herself harder into the huntress. Aela's blush spread madly at the movement and allowed herself to relax. She shut her eyes, letting out her breath. Slowly, the uneasy woman drifted to sleep, escaping from her frantic mind.

* * *

"Bastards!" she hissed, clenching her bloodstained dagger tightly. "Somehow they managed to kill Skjor…" Aela fell to her knees beside the motionless corpse of her Shield Brother, dropping her weapon at her side. Tears welled in her eyes as she delicately touched the side of the man's face, staring at his unseeing eyes. Selene slowly walked to her side, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "He was one of the strongest we had… but numbers can overwhelm." A few tears streamed down her face, dripping to the blood-soaked stone. Aela punched the ground hard. "He should not have come without a Shield Brother!" she yelled, balling her hands into fists tightly.

She whipped her head over her shoulder to Selene, glaring at her angrily. "Get out of here. I'm going to make sure we got the last of them and see if there's any information to be gotten from the bodies. You and I have got work to do. The Silver Hand will tremble at our sight." Aela growled, standing abruptly and wiping her tears away with a shaky hand. She inhaled deeply, walking away from the Dragonborn.

Selene remained where she was, staring sympathetically at the woman in front of her. Though she had only been in the Companions for a short time, she knew that the Circle members were very close. There was no telling how many years Aela had known Skjor. To have him killed in such a manner was obviously difficult for the huntress. She stepped forward, hesitating.

"Where's my next mission?" she asked quietly. Aela didn't move, keeping her back turned.

"There's a Silver Hand camp located on the outskirts of Hjaalmarch. Go there and wipe them out. Leave none alive and show them fear before death." Aela hissed, crossing her arms in front of her.

She was really pissed.

The Dragonborn walked to her Shield Sister, stopping just beside her. Aela shot her an angry glare, tears still streaming down her war-painted face. Selene acted on instinct, wrapping her arms around the huntress firmly. She slumped into the embrace, weakly returning the hug.

"They will suffer slow deaths for this. I will make sure of that. Skjor will not have died in vain," Selene whispered, tightening her grip around her shoulders. Aela sniffled weakly, returning the gesture. They stood there for a few minutes in mourning before Selene drew back, placing her hands on the huntress's shoulder pads and locking their eyes. A few tears were still winding their way down her face. Selene raised a hand, rubbing the trail of liquid off with her thumb. "I will avenge him, Aela." She said with a fierce determination before dropping her hands and making her way to the exit.

Aela watched her go, rooted to the spot. As if things weren't hard enough to deal with already. Her puffy eyes made their way back to the lifeless body of Skjor and a fresh wave of tears spilled from them. First these damned emotions for Selene and now the loss of one of her closest friends. She hiccupped, backing up against one of the stone columns and sliding down. She brought her knees to her chest and hugged them tightly, burying her face in her knees.

The huntress shook violently as she sobbed, her cries echoing off the walls of the expansive stone chamber. She screamed and rocked, allowing months of frustration and emotion to spill out in her moment of weakness. Aela mumbled incoherently to herself, questioning the Gods' will and power. Questioning herself and the demise of her Shield Brother. The woman looked to the mossy stone ceiling through swollen eyes, loosing a scream. Her head came back down hard on her arms, succumbing to her tears throughout the night.


	6. Funeral and a Housecarl

**Well hello there. This is more of a filler chapter. But regardless, please enjoy responsibly ;) **

**I know how many of you have been reading this. Which is, quite a lot actually. So don't be shy! Leave a comment! DO IT O_O  
**

**And apprentally, this story is hot shit in Germany. Guten Tag ;)**

Aela ripped the dagger roughly from the man's skull, watching the lifeless body fall to the ground with a scowl. She kicked his corpse away from her, watching him roll to the side and glancing at his face. It was forever depicted with his last moment of horror. She looked away; the huntress felt no pity for her victim.

She readied her shield, raising it in front of her and twisting her dagger impatiently in her palm. The Silver Hand had finally mustered the courage to lead an assault on Jorrvaskr. It had only been two short weeks since they had begun retribution for the death of Skjor and the organization's retaliation came with a heavy price.

Kodlak Whitemane, their Harbinger, was dead.

She gritted her teeth furiously. The old man hadn't stood a chance against the warriors that had stormed the mead hall in the young hours of the morning. Aela herself was sleeping when she heard the frantic war cries of the cowards when they dashed through the halls, straight to his chambers. Her teeth continued to grind. She had scrambled as quickly as she could, grabbing her weapons and slipping on her boots. But, she was too late. They were already running from Kodlak's room and whooping triumphantly in the corridor when she had finally begun to pursue them.

Now, she stood outside with two bodies at her feet, scanning the courtyard for any stragglers. To make matters worse, a few of their members had taken off with the fragments of Wuuthrad she and Selene had been carefully collecting. Aela looked to Torvar, who was standing at the ready to her right. He had a grim expression on his face, staring off into the courtyard. She turned her head again, gripping her shield tighter. A few citizens of the hold were gathering around, gasping and looking to the unusual scene. Aela ignored them. They weren't important at the time.

However, one person caught her attention.

A figure dressed in a full suit of shining Orcish armor ran to the mead hall, a bloodied sack in their hand. She instantly recognized the person as Selene. She ran up the few steps, glancing at the bodies and the two Companions with a confused expression. Before Aela could even open her mouth, she heard Vilkas' booming voice from the top of the flight of stairs.

"Where have you been?" he hissed, the Dragonborn slowly making her way to him.

"I was doing Kodlak's bidding." She replied unsurely, stopping at the bottom step. Aela turned her body to watch the two.

"I hope it was important, because it means you weren't here to defend him," he bit back, glaring at the woman. "The Silver Hand. They finally found enough courage to attack Jorrvaskr. We fought them off, but…" he looked down, his features softening. Selene's mouth parted as she gripped his meaning. "The old man… Kodlak… he's dead." He whispered, barely loud enough for the woman to hear. She looked down to the steps in front of her, disturbed by the news.

"Was anyone else hurt?" she asked quietly, raising her eyes back to the man. He shook his head.

"No, but they made off with all our fragments of Wuuthrad." He replied, balling his fists at his side. "But you and I are going to reclaim them." Vilkas began walking down the stairs towards them. "We will bring the battle to their chief camp. There will be none left living to tell their stories. Only songs of Jorrvaskr will be sung." He stopped before her, placing a hand on the woman's shoulder. "We will avenge Kodlak. They will know terror before the end." He said fiercely, dropping his hand and continuing down the steps.

Aela's eyes followed their fading figures until they turned behind a house in the distance. She sighed heavily, turning to face Jorrvaskr. There was a funeral to prepare.

* * *

The huntress took a step back, admiring the pyre among the Skyforge. Though it was indeed a sad sight, she couldn't help but be satisfied with the intricate woodworking and deep red satin banners. She could only hope that the late Harbinger would have been pleased with the pyre that was fit for a king as well. She sighed, brushing some loose splinters and dust from her gloves. It had taken several hours to build the wooden crematorium and the early rays of morning light were peeking over the horizon.

Aela turned, looking to the training yard where several of her Shield Siblings were sitting quietly, mourning. As far as she knew, no one had slept that night. The loss of the Harbinger was a devastating blow. She tilted her head the purple-hued sky, hoping the fight Selene and Vilkas were bringing to the Silver Hand was going successful. Praying she would see them both again, healthy and alive.

She sighed again, walking to the edge of the Skyforge and sitting on the stone barrier. The huntress yawned sleepily, letting her gaze roam to the path into the city. Farkas had left only moments ago to inform the Jarl of the tragedy that had befallen them. Her eyes slowly roamed, spotting a priest walking out of Jorrvaskr and trudging towards the temple. She could only guess that Kodlak's body had been fully prepared for the ceremony. Aela looked to her feet. There was no telling how long it would take for Vilkas and Selene to return. They couldn't begin the ceremony without all of the Circle members present.

Aela stood again, letting out another yawn. There was no need to force herself to stay awake. With a stretch, she began walking towards the mead hall. Her feet came down heavily on the stone path, allowing her instinct to direct her to her bedchambers. Cries of the religious zealot, Hiemskr, met her ears and she frowned. The huntress stopped abruptly at the front doors of Jorrvaskr and turned. She carefully eyed the robed man, furrowing her brows as he preached about Talos. He waved his hands wildly as he yelled to his nonexistent audience, as he did every day. Aela shook her head. How could someone have that much devotion to a God? Why did he return to that very spot every day to preach, only to have his words fall on deaf ears? She turned back around, wrenching open on of the doors and stepping inside.

She slammed the door shut behind her, trudging towards the basement. After all she had seen in her life, her faith in the Gods was slowly waning. If the Divines loved them so much, then why did they allow such horrible tragedies to befall their people? No, their 'children'? She shook her head again, descending the wooden staircase. There would never be an answer for such questions.

Aela blankly winded her way through the halls and was slightly surprised when she bumped into her bed. She curiously let her silver eyes roam on the fur blankets that were crumpled in a heap at the foot of the bed. The Nord shrugged, taking a seat on the edge and kicking off her boots. With an exhausted sigh, she fell onto the bed, reveling the feeling of fluffy furs tickling her bare back. The huntress stared at the ceiling blankly. Though she slept in her armor often, she wondered if she should slip into something a little more comfortable. The thought was shoved away as she pondered the recent events. She was still on edge from the early morning ambush. A hand made its way to her waist, easily un-strapping her dagger and throwing it unceremoniously to the floor beside her. She didn't feel like getting up.

The woman slid her eyes closed and rolled onto her stomach, stuffing her arms underneath the meager pillow. It didn't take long for sleep to take her.

* * *

"Aela," a voice said gruffly accompanied by a rough shake of her shoulder. She groaned, swatting a blind hand at whoever was disturbing her rest. "Aela, get up." It said again, pushing her again with more force. Aela cracked her eyes open angrily. Her beast blood keeping her from getting a restful sleep was bad enough without someone waking her. She scanned the blank wooden wall her bed was pushed against before rolling to her back. There stood Vilkas, bloodied and tired. Her eyes shot open the rest of the way and she sat up immediately. The werewolf smiled to her, standing upright.

"How did it go? Are you both uninjured?" the questions spilled from her lips almost immediately as she scanned his dented and blood crusted armor. Vilkas crossed his arms with a triumphant grin.

"The fight went well. None of them remain alive to boast of their spineless _victory_," he spat out the word, scratching at a cut on his cheek before continuing. "And we fared well considering their numbers. Selene took a bad hit unfortunately; I had to bring her back on my back. Tilma is tending to her now. She asked me to send for…" He trailed off at the glare she gave him. He left Tilma to tend to her by herself? Was she really so seriously injured that he had to carry her back? Aela jumped to her feet, scooping her dagger from the ground. She went to hastily strapping the weapon to her waist when she heard her Shield Brother grunt in amusement.

"What the fuck is so funny?" she barked at the Companion. He raised his hands in mock defense.

"Nothing." He replied, unable to fight the smile working its way to his face. Aela huffed as she slipped the leather strap into its final resting position. Her silver eyes roamed his face suspiciously as he bit back his smirk before taking off. She ignored the sharp 'Hey!' from Vilkas as she passed him and purposefully slammed her shoulder into his.

Selene was hurt and the primal instinct within her was taking over. She had to see the woman with her own eyes.

Aela made her way to the Underforge in a timely manner, jerking the stone door open with a force that would have ripped a normal one off its hinges. She slammed it impatiently behind her and ran inside towards the two women. Pained hisses and swears met her sensitive ears as she made her way inside. Tilma was crouched over Selene on the ground, looking up curiously to the huntress as she came to a halt and kneeled beside her.

"Good evening, child. Come to give an old woman a hand? I though Vilkas was going to leave me all alone with this one." she asked politely, a warm smile creasing her thin lips. Aela gave a curt nod and scanned the nearly nude, save for her not-so-surprisingly green panties, Dragonborn on the ground. Her torso was riddled with thin cuts and bruises, but one caught her attention. There was a deep laceration on her left shoulder that was horribly inflamed with coagulating blood oozing strangely from it. The veins surrounding the area were a deep, sickly purple color. Her eyes widened as she immediately recognized the nature of the wound.

"She was struck by silver?" she gasped and the older woman nodded.

"Aye, she was. I'm having difficulty getting this one to stay closed. You careless wolves, I swear!" Tilma grabbed a vial of clear liquid from her side, muttering under her breath. "I need you to hold her still, poor girl has come down with a fever from the infection." The huntress blanched at the statement. Her injuries were even more severe than they looked.

Carefully, Aela shifted to be straddling the woman with a small blush. She placed her hands just above the writhing Dragonborn's ample breasts and held her down. Selene moaned deeply, her eyes screwed shut and her normally gentle features twisted in her inexplicable torture. The crimson haired woman stared down at her sympathetically. Taking a wound from a silver weapon brought nothing short of excruciating pain, even to the oldest of werewolves.

"Alright Aela, get ready. She's a kicker," the maid croaked, uncorking the clear vial and pouring it onto the deep wound. Selene immediately jerked forward, screaming loudly. Aela pushed hard against her chest to keep her still, trying her best to ignore her cries. Tears began to run down her porcelain cheeks, disappearing into her hair. The huntress gritted her teeth as her hands grabbed her thighs frantically and sunk her nails deep into the soft flesh. Her eyes cracked open as she gasped for air, quickly landing on the woman above her. The haunting green orbs were tinted red around the edges and looked to her pleadingly. Aela felt her heart sink as the suffering woman stared at her, her eyes begging for an escape from the pain.

Selene lunged forward again as more fluid dripped onto her shoulder, releasing a fresh wave of screams and tears. The woman thrashed so violently that Aela leaned down, pressing her elbows into her chest with all of her might and grabbing her face.

"Shh," she cooed into her ear, hoping to coax her into relaxing. However, it didn't work. The Dragonborn continued to holler, her voice reverberating off the stone walls of the Underforge loudly. Aela was sure that she would be deaf after this was over.

"Aela!" Selene cried out desperately, followed promptly by choked sobs. Aela felt her heart skip a beat and in that moment, the woman came to one of the most important decisions in her life.

She would never again tuck her tail and run from this woman. Who, even in her delirious state, still called out for her. Implored her to end the horrible agony she was experiencing. The kiss was but a distant worry as she tilted her head towards Selene's pain-warped face, only inches away from her own. Her chest panged in guilt and her silver eyes shone with regret.

Selene cried out for the huntress again as Tilma applied more of the liquid to the wound. Aela had no idea what the mixture was, but she did know it was efficient in cleaning silver-related injuries. And that it hurt like the lowest plain of Oblivion. The black haired woman's fingernails dug deeper into her thighs, eliciting a sharp hiss from her. She made no attempt to move, however. Selene needed an anchor of some sort.

Tilma retrieved a small set of tongs specially crafted with a small razor attached to the end. Aela winced as she recognized the detestable tool. The flesh of the laceration was infected with small particles of silver. The strange concoction she had been using only did so much. The rest of the tainted skin needed to be removed by more… barbaric measures. There would be dire consequences for Selene if they didn't get rid of all of the offending metal. Once the wound was completely cleaned, her beast blood would mend the flesh within days. The old woman also procured a small piece of wood wrapped in cloth, handing it to the huntress with a grim nod. She swallowed as she grabbed it, careful to keep her weight on the woman beneath her.

"Selene… this is going to hurt. Stay strong, sister. I'm here…" she whispered into her ear, calming the woman ever so slightly. Aela delicately pried her mouth fully open and placed the gag between her teeth, returning her hands to the side of the woman's face. She needed to be held as still as possible. Selene's eyes shot open in panic, attempting to turn her head to look at her wounded shoulder. When the firm hands of the huntress prevented her from doing so, silver locked with emerald.

Aela swallowed hard from the sheer terror within the deep green gaze. In an attempt to comfort her, she shut her eyes and rested her forehead among the Dragonborn's. She felt the tips of her eyelashes flutter shut against her cheeks.

'_Gods give her strength and ease her pain…'_

A strangled scream tore from Selene's muffled mouth, causing the huntress to flinch. She pressed their bodies together tightly to prevent her from squirming around. Aela dully noticed the stone door scrape open and heavy footfalls echo around the enclosed space. There was a low whistle barely audible among the cries from Selene.

"Shor's beard…" Aela recognized the voice to be Farkas' and held her position. She tenderly stroked the black haired woman's cheek, trying the best she could to comfort her. But, she knew all too well from experience that there was little to soothe her from this procedure. The wood cracked from the fierceness of her bite, catching Aela by a bit of surprise. Hot blood trickled down the sides of her legs as Selene's nails pierced her skin and she bit the tip of her tongue. She wouldn't bitch like a child from such a small abrasion.

The concept of time was lost among the shrieks and cries from Selene. She moaned Aela's name through the gag over and over in an all too familiar plea for solace. Aela kept herself plastered to the woman, never moving or parting their foreheads, all the while cooing calming words to her. If Selene couldn't be strong, she would be for her.

Which brought the huntress to her earlier thoughts. If she hadn't ignored the Dragonborn, then maybe this could have been avoided somehow. Yes, she had been sending her on missions to destroy Silver Hand camps. But Selene had always come out on top smelling like roses, relatively unscathed. This was her first encounter with the agonizing effects of silver. Somehow, this was her fault. Maybe, just maybe, she would have never witnessed the crippling pain…

"All finished dear," She scarcely heard the old maid sigh beside them. Selene was going hoarse from her yelling. Aela slowly cracked her eyes open and lifted her head, glancing at the lesion. It was neatly stitched in a criss-cross pattern and the veins around the area were returning to their normal color. She let out a sigh in relief, gently plucking the gag from the Dragonborn's mouth. Selene let out a rough moan and a few tears made their way down her face.

Aela sat up, brushing the droplets from her cheeks. The woman's breathing was still erratic. She felt her sharp fingernails retract from her thighs with a hiss, looking down to see fine lines of blood trickling to the floor. She shrugged it off. The huntress leaned back, rolling onto the balls of her feet before carefully climbing off of Selene. She sat cross-legged on her right side, face Tilma. The old woman was digging through her bag, which Aela had not seen until now. She procured a large bundle of cloth and passed it to the redhead. She let the fabric tumble down her arms as she grabbed it and it revealed itself to be a set of robes. Aela gave the maid a small smile before looking at Selene and robed the nude woman.

"I wouldn't leave her unattended just yet, dear. If the fever doesn't break by noon tomorrow then we may have a serious problem." Tilma said timidly, running a crinkled hand down her face as Aela finished her task. The Nord nodded. "Though, I can keep an eye on her for now. You have a funeral to attend." Aela winced. She had nearly forgotten about the cremation. She hesitated before standing, but was stopped by a weak hand on her ankle.

"Don't…go…" Selene rasped barely above a whisper. The Dragonborn was looking up at her with beseeching eyes, making the huntress nearly melt in guilt. She knelt back down with a sad smile.

"I have to lay Kodlak to rest, sister. I will be back shortly." She said softly, giving her good shoulder a squeeze. Selene gave her a short nod of understanding, though her eyes betrayed her want for the huntress to stay with her. The crimson haired woman stood, mumbling a 'sorry' before trudging past the twins and making her way to the Skyforge.

* * *

The pyre blazed wildly and she quickly stepped back. She hadn't anticipated the wood structure catching fire so quickly. Aela sighed, turning back to the rather large crowd of people and gripping her torch tightly.

"His sprit is departed. Members of the Circle, let us withdraw to the Underforge, to grieve our last together." She said to the congregation, slyly masking her own intentions within her statement. Now that the ceremony was complete, people would walk around and start talking to each other and giving their condolences. The huntress wasn't fond of small talk after such events. Plus, there was a certain Dragonborn beneath her feet that was certainly still in a great deal of pain.

She turned to the stone staircase, swiftly descending and slipping through the night and inside the Underforge before anyone could even open their mouth at her. Tilma was still beside Selene, knitting something as she hummed softly. Her wrinkled face turned with a smile as Aela neared, dropping her hands into her lap.

"Ahh, that didn't take long. He is departed then?" Aela nodded, placing her torch in a holster on the wall nearest to them and taking a seat just behind Selene's head. The ill woman stirred slightly, letting out a cough in her sleep before going still once more. "I gave her a few healing tonics to ease the pain and to help her rest. Goodness knows the poor child needs it. The first silver wound is always the worst." The huntress nodded in grim agreement.

Heavy metal footsteps announced the arrival of the remaining two Circle members. The brothers stopped a few feet behind Tilma, both wearing poignant expressions. The old woman began tossing her materials in her bag, scooping it and standing with a weary groan.

"Now, this old woman has cleaning to do. You should decide who should watch her and for Talos' sake," she looked between the three of them, "get her to a bed." She stiffly walked to the exit and departed. At the door scraped shut, Vilkas scratched at his scruffy neck. They all remained motionless for several minutes, an uneasy silence creeping over them.

"I'll watch her," Aela said quietly, breaking the stillness and moving to the woman's side. Her arms snaked underneath the sleeping woman tenderly, lifting her with ease. She cradled Selene protectively to her chest, shrugging her limp head to rest in the crook of her neck and began for the exit. Farkas moved in front of her, shouldering the stone entry open for the huntress as she continued her trek.

Aela gently laid the Dragonborn on her bed with a grunt. She grabbed the bunched furs and the foot of the bed, gingerly laying them over her. The huntress sat on the edge on the mattress and pinched the bridge of her nose. Her silver eyes slid shut as she massaged the cartilage in small circles. A low moan caught her attention, dropping her hand and looking to Selene. She stirred restlessly underneath the sheets.

"Lydia…" she whispered. Aela froze, her heart sinking. Lydia? Who the hell was that? Was this Lydia person her lover? She scrunched her eyebrows together. And why did that name sound so familiar? Selene stirred again, her eyes cracking open. "Please… get her…" she groaned. Aela swallowed hard, meeting the woman's eyes. "She's at… my house… please…" her eyes fluttered shut and the huntress swallowed the lump rising in her throat.

This Lydia woman was at her house. She stood, defeated. Maybe she was wrong earlier. She made her way to Farkas' room, where the man was lounging lazily on his bed. He looked up to her, confused as she mumbled for him to watch Selene for a few minutes. Aela barely registered his nod before she turned away, winding her way to Breezehome.

She was there in no time. The huntress took in a shaky breath, raising her hand and rapping her knuckles loudly on the thick wooden door. Almost immediately, her sensitive ears picked up movement from within the building and growing louder as someone came to the door. It swung inward, revealing a Nord woman with short, dark brown hair wearing steel armor. She raised a dark eyebrow at the woman.

"Can I help you?" She asked, placing a hand on her hip. The sweet smell of roasted meat drifted past her to Aela. She must have been in the middle of her dinner.

"Are you Lydia?" the huntress asked simply, adopting a professional stature. No need to look like a beat-down fool in front of Selene's lover…

"I am. What do you want?" her dark eyebrows met dangerously. This woman certainly didn't have any patience.

"Selene is bedridden in Jorrvaskr. She has… asked for you." Aela looked down to the woman's shining steel boots. Lydia gasped causing her eyes to shoot back up. The woman looked absolutely horrified.

"What has happened to my Thane?" she took a step forward. Thane? Aela's eyes widened. _'Of course! Selene is a Thane! Lydia is her housecarl!' _deep laughter erupted from the crimson haired woman. Lydia stared at her with a quirked eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Aela sputtered between giggles, slowly calming. The steel clad woman continued to stare at her and crossed her arms. "I thought you were… I thought…" she looked up to the hoursecarl's confused face and stilled herself, clearing her throat. "Um… never mind. Please follow me."

Aela promptly turned and took off down the street. She heard the heavy steps of the woman following her and a large smile blossomed across her face. However, it faded quickly.

"You thought I was what?" Lydia growled as she marched up to her, matching her brisk pace. Aela rose her eyebrows at the woman. She sure did move fast for wearing such heavy armor.

"I meant no disrespect, housecarl. I was under a wrong impression is all," she said smoothly with a shrug. The answer didn't seem to please the brunette.

"Well, under what impression?" the huntress stopped abruptly with a coy smile, slapping on an innocent face.

"That you were in a romantic relationship with the Dragonborn." She said sweetly, her lips curving further upwards as the woman in front of her blushed madly. Lydia opened and closed her mouth several times in an attempt to respond, but only succeeded in looking like a banked slaughterfish. Aela turned with a smug grin, nearly skipping towards Jorrvaskr with the housecarl close behind.

**Oh yeah. Would anyone be interested in me drawing a picture of Selene so its a little easier to picture her? Let me know ;)**

**And go check out this sweet ass pic of Aela I drew (shameless advertising, I know. This URL with the asterisks)**

**http*:/*black-wolf-of-hell.*deviantart.*com/*gallery/#/*d5de0qx**


	7. Nightmares

**Huzzah! Next chapter! This would have been up... two days ago-ish but I was taken on an unexpected camping adventure. .. Oh well, here it is! I'm working on the picture of Selene, but she just doesn't want to cooperate with me to much. . give me some time on that...**

**Story stats page doesn't lie. I know how many of you have been here... So leave a comment! Please, I beg of you! I want to know how I'm doing =(**

The housecarl was glaring at her.

Even as she delicately dipped the washrag she was holding into a bucket of crisp, clean water, her gaze never left the huntress. Aela felt the muscles in her back tighten at the glare. It was starting to freak her out. Ever since they had returned to Jorrvaskr, Lydia had pulled up a chair beside the bed and just sat there. And stared. Selene was still sleeping, thankfully, but she couldn't help but wonder why the Dragonborn had asked her to retrieve this stiff woman.

She twisted the rag tightly, letting the cool water drip back into the bucket and gave it a light shake, turning to face the sleeping Dragonborn. Aela swept some hair off of her sweat slickened face before dabbing the damp rag gently across it.

"You never answered my question." Lydia said from behind her, a hint of anger in her voice. Aela sighed, continuing to wipe away the injured woman's perspiration. She stopped on the side of her neck, holding her hand there to look over her shoulder at the housecarl.

"What question?" she asked, gaining a deeper scowl from the brunette.

"What happened to her? Why is she in such a desperate condition?" Lydia growled back, crossing her arms over her belly. Aela looked down, quickly conjuring a lie.

"She was struck with a poisoned weapon. We've given her every antidote we could possibly find, but it seems the poison was unique. Our efforts helped her situation considerably but as you can see," she motioned to the woman with a nod of her head, "she still suffers." Aela turned away, picking up where she had left off. Lydia huffed behind her, stirring in her chair. The huntress could _feel_ the cloudy-blue eyes boring into the back of her skull. She suppressed a shiver, carefully focusing on dabbing at Selene's face.

Selene shifted, taking in a deep breath. Aela withdrew her hand as the woman rolled to her side, peeking her green orbs from underneath their lids. The Dragonborn curled into the huntress's side, tucking her legs around her back and melding into her. She bit the inside of her cheek to suppress a blush from the contact. Her emerald eyes slowly drifted up to look at Aela and smiled.

"How long have I been out?" she asked hoarsely, wincing as she rolled her shoulders. Aela returned the smile.

"A few hours," the huntress replied softly and placed her hand on the woman's side. Her eyes roamed to just behind her where Lydia sat and her smile brightened.

"Lydia, I'm glad she brought you," She rasped. The housecarl stood, briskly walking over to the edge of the bed and kneeling down. Selene let out a shaky laugh. "I know how you worry."

"It is my duty, my Thane," the brunette replied with a smile, placing a hand over the Dragonborn's. Selene shot her a playful glare.

"I've told you not to call me that," she whispered back, flipping her hand to grasp Lydia's. Aela couldn't help but feel a little jealous at the display and slightly… out of place. She shook it off as she studied the black haired woman's face. The softness in her eyes was enough to tell her that the two simply had a strong friendship and nothing more. The huntress leaned back, dropping the washrag into the bucket next to her ankle.

"Do you require anything, my lady?" Lydia asked, gaining a small smack to the back of her hand. Selene let out a short laugh as the woman in front of her pursed her lips.

"A cold mug of mead would do me wonders," the housecarl gave her hand a small squeeze before standing, quickly making her way out of the room and shutting the door behind her. She directed her attention back to Aela, whom was staring at the side of the bed blankly. The Dragonborn curled closer to the crimson haired woman, prompting her to turn her gaze. She smiled down at her, lifting a hand to scratch at the war paint on her brow. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

The huntress raised her eyebrows at her, completely taken aback by the question. "What do you mean?"

"You've been avoiding me for nearly two months. Yet, here you are now at my sickbed," she brushed a tendril of raven hair out of her face before continuing. "Tending to me while I am ill. Why is that?" Aela swallowed hard. This was extremely unexpected. Selene winced as she adjusted slightly to face her better.

"I've just been busy," she replied, thanking Hircine that her voice did not betray her. The Dragonborn simply raised an eyebrow at her.

"You are a terrible liar," she croaked before rolling onto her back and shivering slightly. Aela felt a small blush creep across her cheeks at the observation. She crossed her arms defensively.

"What makes you think I'm lying?" she retorted, huffing at the accusation. She could at least try to play it off…

"Every time I come around you get up and run off. I'm not stupid, Aela. I can tell when I'm being evaded," she said with a light cough, gently rubbing at her scratchy throat.

Damn.

Aela bit her lip. Caught like a bear in a trap. She let out a defeated sigh, looking away from the accusing green orbs. "It's complicated," she stated lowly, hugging her body tightly. This wasn't going to end well.

"Have I done something to wrong you?" Selene asked quietly. The huntress whipped her head back to her, her eyebrows shooting up at the question.

"No! Gods no!" she yelped, taking in a deep breath, "I just made a mistake, is all." Her expression softened, tearing her gaze away once more. Selene reached up, cupping her cheek and pulling her down. Aela complied, allowing herself to come face to face with the Dragonborn.

"What mistake? I swear, you're more cryptic than the Prince of Madness himself," she whispered, keeping her hand cupped on the huntress's cheek. Aela propped her arms of either side of the woman as to not fall on her and her blush deepened when she realized how close they were. If she moved a scant few inches, she could capture those alluring lips once again. A wry smile curved at Selene's lips as she saw the redness of her cheeks, brushing her thumb tenderly back and forth. "It was the kiss, wasn't it?" she asked quietly.

Damn she was perceptive.

Aela hesitated before nodding, unable to answer. The Dragonborn stilled her thumb, staring intently into her silver eyes. "Why was that a mistake?" the huntress shut her eyes and leaned into her hand slightly. She didn't want to have this conversation.

"I should not have burdened you with such a thing," she sighed, shifting uncomfortably. Selene ran her hand to the back of her neck, twirling a few strands of her crimson hair around her fingers.

"I hold no burdens," Aela opened her eyes, slightly surprised. The Dragonborn's emerald eyes twinkled up at her filled with a mischievous intent that she couldn't place. Before she could stop herself, she inched closer, hovering just above those luscious lips she so craved.

"Surely you jest," she whispered, gaining a smile from Selene.

"Do I look like a fool to you?" the raven haired woman shot back, tugging Aela closer. She shut her eyes, brushing their lips together lightly.

And then the door flung open.

The huntress shot up, glaring at the entryway as Lydia strode in. The housecarl stopped abruptly as she caught the fierce look, her eyes widening in shock. She cleared her throat, marching forward with the flagon of mead the Dragonborn had requested and setting it carefully on the nightstand. She returned the dirty glare to Aela as she stood upright.

"Is there anything else you need, my Thane?" she asked stiffly, her eyes never leaving the angry silver orbs.

"No, thank you Lydia." Selene hoarsely replied, grabbing the flagon and taking a sip. She sighed as she saw the huntress and the housecarl continuing their stare-down and returned the flagon to the nightstand. The Dragonborn shivered, wriggling under the furs to drag them to her shoulders. She felt sweat beginning to collect on her forehead uncomfortably from her fever. She loosed a shaky cough, gaining the glowering women's attention.

Aela hastily grabbed the forgotten washrag, her displeasure with Lydia becoming evanescent. She wrung it quickly of the excess water and began to dab the beads of perspiration from Selene's forehead. The huntress had nearly forgotten about her fever and mentally kicked herself.

"You should rest. The poison still takes its toll," she whispered softly, bringing the rag away from the Dragonborn's sweat-free face. Selene yawned wearily with a nod, rolling to her uninjured side and shutting her eyes.

Aela watched intently as her breathing quickly evened out and she fell asleep once more. She sighed, folding her hands into her lap. She was so close to taking those soft lips once more until that damn housecarl walked in. Gritting her teeth with a scowl, she turned her head to look at Lydia.

Cloudy-blue eyes glared back at her intently. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

_The snow crunched beneath her boots with every light step, sending her tiny feet deep within the powdery blanket. She bit her lip, trying desperately to step silently in the forest so her prey would not hear her. The man beside her, despite his large size and bulk, strode as quiet as the night in the snow. He shot her a smile, bringing a finger to his lips as he crouched lower to the ground. She did the same, watching him intently._

_The man pulled out his bow with practiced discretion as they came to the top of the hill they were climbing. His arrow came out just as quietly, notching it into place. "Watch carefully, my little cub," he whispered to her on the wind, so quiet she had to strain her ears to hear him. She nodded briskly, shuffling over to stand behind him. _

_Her eyes locked onto the deer he was aiming at in the middle of the small herd. It wasn't that big of a buck, but the two of them didn't need that much food. She looked up to see him stick out the tip of his tongue in concentration, as he always did. The string snapped forward, sending the arrow flying. There was a chorus of horrified bleats as it stuck the buck in his hind leg and the herd took off. The man dropped his bow with a sigh. _

"_I must have not been holding my tongue right," he said with a laugh, looking the little girl beside him. She smiled, knowing her father's superstition of holding his tongue in the correct position when he hunted. "Now we must track the beast into the wilds, little one. This hunt is not over." She stuck put her bottom lip at his statement._

"_But papa, it's late. We can't catch up with them!" she squeaked, looking to the edge of the forest the deer had disappeared into._

"_Ah, Aela," he crouched down to her, placing a burly hand on her shoulder, "this is the law of the hunt. We must not disrespect Kynareth and all of her children. I have wounded this poor beast to fill my own belly, and I would be a shameful hunter to allow this creature to wander into the wilds to die. You mustn't ever kill for sport or leisure, my little cub." He stood, scratching at his thick beard. "Never allow your prey to spoil. And besides, the snow is fresh. He has left us a trail to follow." He took her tiny hand within his own, descending to the plain where the herd once grazed. Small dots of crimson painted the bleak landscape into the forest beside the deep tracks of the animals. _

_Aela brushed some fiery hair out of her face as the wind picked up, picking up her pace to match the large strides of her father. As they entered the edge of the woods, he stopped abruptly. She bumped into the back of his leg, looking up curiously._

"_What is it, papa?" she asked quietly as he drew his bow. His head whipped around frantically, causing his dark brown hair to bat at his face._

"_Little one, hide yourself!" he hissed, drawing an arrow from his quiver. The girl gasped, spotting a large tree with a foxhole in the roots. She scurried over to it, smiling as she determined it was vacant and just large enough for her to squeeze inside. Feet first, she hopped into the hole, glad the small space was void of snow. _

_Aela dared a peek to her father, who was standing as still as possible with his bow drawn back. What was going on? Just as she was about to ask, she heard an angry shout and his arrow flew._

_Several men dressed in strange, furred armor jumped from behind the trees. A few of them sported helmets made from the skulls of deer, making the little girl gasp. Who were these people? They charged her father, raising their swords and hatchets. The weapons were crudely made, fastened out of wood and animal bones. They were unlike anything Aela had ever seen._

"_Papa!" she screamed as one of the strangely dressed men sliced through his calf. He screamed in pain, dropping his bow and quickly unsheathing his sword. He roared at them, charging one as best as he could._

_Aela watched, mortified as her father fought with them. He downed two of the attackers, viciously fighting against the large party._

_But, numbers can overwhelm._

_Hot tears streaked her face as she watched them whoop and holler at their victory, stripping her father of anything they could possibly use. They fled into the forest, savoring their victory. Aela waited, frozen in her refuge, sobbing as their voices died out. Slowly, she climbed out, blurrily making her way to her motionless father._

"_Papa…" she choked, slumping against his bloody chest. She stared into his unmoving silver eyes, forever looking ahead. She cried harder, shoving her little fists into her eyes. Who would do such a thing? Why?_

_She was so ridden with sorrow that she didn't notice the figure walking up behind her, crossing his thick arms with a smirk._

"_Well, what do we have here?" her head shot up at the raspy voice, spinning to see the man. He was dressed as the others, but had a strange wound to his chest. A flower-looking object was sticking out of the stitched-up gash. She gasped, huddling closer to her father's corpse. The man moved closer, grabbing her roughly by her hair._

"_No!" she screamed, kicking out at the man as he laughed, dragging her deep into the forest._

"NO!" She screamed, lurching forward from her seat. A pair of hands pushed gently on her shoulders and Aela acted immediately. She drew her dagger, elbowing the figure hard in the face, knocking them to the ground. Her steel met their throat with breakneck speed, glaring through her tears.

"Aela!" someone shouted beside her. She shot them a feral glare, her eyes widening as she blurrily saw Selene looking back from the bed, terrified. The huntress blinked away her tears, slowly looking to the person she had pinned down. Lydia was staring up at her with a horrified expression, blood pouring out of her precariously crooked nose.

Aela gasped, jumping off of the housecarl and backing up to the wall. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to make sense of what was going on, eyes flickering back and forth between the two worried women. Her dagger trembled in her grasp as she held it unsteadily in front of her with a snarl. She was blind to reality in her fury.

Selene slowly rose, taking careful steps to the huntress. As she approached, she saw the bestial look in Aela's amber eyes. Her wolf was pushing out. The Dragonborn raised her hands slowly, taking tentative steps towards her. The crimson haired woman growled deeply, pointing her dagger menacingly at her. Selene stopped in front of the blade, tenderly wrapping her fingers around her shaking wrist.

"Shh, it's alright. It's alright," she whispered, delicately plucking the weapon from Aela's grasp. She tossed it to the side, slowly moving towards the panicked woman. Tears still fell from her frightened amber eyes and her lips were curled up to show her pointed teeth.

Selene cupped her face tenderly, whispering to her that it was just a dream. The huntress's eyes slowly melded into their normal silver color and her teeth flattened out. She slumped to the floor, falling into Selene's embrace as she knelt beside her.

It had been so long since she had dreamed. It had been so long since she had even thought of such a painful memory. As she leaned against the Dragonborn, she slowly came to terms of just what happened. It had felt so _real_, as if she was reliving that hellish day all over again. Every gust of wind on her cheeks to the heart-wrenching pain that came with watching her father die.

The huntress realized that that had happened nearly twenty years ago. She was here, at Jorrvaskr. Not being dragged to that wretched Forsworn camp. It was just a dream. She swallowed hard, willing her tears to stop. Selene was gently stroking her hair and holding her head against her bosom, allowing her to hear the woman's steady heartbeat against her warm flesh. It was… soothing. Aela shut her eyes, sniffling lightly. This sort of thing had never happened to her before.

"Are you alright, Aela?" Selene asked softly. She looked up to her, nodding as she caught the concerned emerald gaze.

"Good, because you have some explaining to do," Lydia growled nasally from the other side of the room. She had already re-centered her nose, but the blood was still dripping freely from it. Aela raised her eyebrows at the wound. Did she do that?

"I'm sorry, Lydia," she whispered, looking to the floor. The housecarl 'hmphed' at the answer, clearly not satisfied. The three of them went quiet for several minutes before Selene broke the silence.

"It must have been a terrible thing to witness," she said softly, prompting Aela to look up her, confused. How did she know that? She smiled sadly down at the huntress, seemingly reading her thoughts. "You were talking in your sleep. Do you wish to talk about it?" the huntress looked away, snuggling closer to the Dragonborn. She had never talked to anyone about her father's death except her mother and she didn't really want to. Even after all of these years, it was still as painful as the day it happened.

Selene continued to stroke her hair soothingly, bringing her from her thoughts. The huntress just wanted to go back to sleep. "I'd rather not," she croaked, shutting her eyes.

"I think you should," Lydia barked, stepping closer. "Yellow eyes and pointed teeth? What are you hiding, Huntress?" she growled as she stomped to a halt.

Crap.

Selene and Aela exchanged worried glances before looking to the peeved housecarl. She drew her greatsword loudly, pointing it at her throat. Aela stared up the blade with a gulp.

"Lydia, calm yourself. I saw no such things," Selene said, hugging the huntress closer to her. Lydia snorted.

"I know what I saw, my Thane. This woman is a beast!" she shoved the tip of her weapon harshly at her, poking the tender skin on her neck. She felt a thin line of blood trickle from the wound and remained stiff. There was nowhere to back away from the weapon.

"Lydia, drop your weapon," the Dragonborn raised her voice dangerously, but the brunette paid her no mind.

"What are you, foul beast?" she yelled, gripping the greatsword tighter. Aela remained quiet, transfixed on the steel at her neck.

"I will find out what you are or cut your head from your shoulders. It is your choice, monster!"

**Oh Lydia, You cock-blocking paranoid bitch XD.**

**Leave a comment O_O**


	8. Wuuthrad

_**Lieber Gast Reviewer,**_

_**Es ist ganz einfach, wirklich! Die Geschichte Stats-Seite ermöglicht es mir, zu sehen, wie viele Leute lesen meine Geschichte, einschließlich des Landes, in dem sie stammen. Mindestens 1/4 meiner Zuschauer sind aus Deutschland.**_

_**Ich bin froh, dass du diese Geschichte so weit gefallen und ich hoffe, dass zukünftige Kapiteln du wirst sie so viel Spaß. Ich hoffe, es gibt nichts zu kritisieren, aber!**_

**Thank god I know German XD Well, I'm a tad bit rusty, but hopefully I didn't make too many mistakes ^^.**

**Anywho, this chapter may be a little dull, but the next one won't be. I promise ;) Comment. Comment. O_O  
**

Those cloudy-blue eyes flickered dangerously, boring deeply into my own. I swallowed hard, feeling the tip of the sword wave slightly against my throat as the muscles moved. Blood was dribbling down my neck, trickling uncomfortably down between my breasts.

The steel pressed harder against my flesh and I pushed against the wall behind me. Selene held me tighter, glaring at the housecarl.

"Answer me," she growled, her lip twitching in annoyance.

"Lydia. Lower your sword," Selene said calmly, yet menacingly. The brunette held her position, intent on prying the information out of me.

"I will not, my Thane. She is a beast with human flesh!" Lydia bit back. A bead of sweat rolled down the back of my neck and I was tempted to swipe it away, but made no such move. If I so much as flinched, the woman might run me through.

"Don't make me do it, Lydia." She said, keeping her cool demeanor. Lydia's eyes finally broke away from mine, looking slightly horrified to the woman beside me. She sighed, removing the sword from my neck, but still held it an arms breadth away. I took in a deep breath, raising a tentative hand to wipe away the blood streaking my chest.

"Why do you defend her?" she spat coldly, returning her malicious stare to me. Selene stood, making her way in between me and the housecarl, propping her injured arm on the wardrobe to my left.

"Leave her be. I must gather the Circle." Selene leaned forward, visibly shaking as she stepped around the woman to the door. My eyebrows rose in disbelief. Surely she wasn't thinking of telling this hard-headed housecarl of our secret?

As she left, her sword made its way back to my throat. I pinned myself flat against the stone wall once again, baring my teeth at her. "You heard her, _housecarl._ Remove your weapon." I growled at her. Lydia remained still as a statue. This was ridiculous.

In a bold move, I swatted the sword with the heavily-armored part of my gauntlet, plunging the steel deeply into the wood of the wardrobe. Before she had time to wrench the weapon out of the timber, I shot up. My fist came down hard on her jaw, staggering her back a few steps. She remained hunched over in shock for a moment, staring at the floor in disbelief. Her head slowly turned to me, the blood dripping from her nose giving her an animalistic appearance. I suppressed a laugh. She didn't scare me.

Lydia lunged at me with a roar, swinging her fists wildly at my face. I leaned back, missing the furious swipes. Her fist connected painfully in my stomach, sending me reeling backwards. I was quick to retaliate, kicking her hard in the calf. My lip curled instantly in pain as my toes crunched against the steel plate hidden beneath the leather. _I should invest in metal boots…_I thought as I hopped backward, readying my fists.

The housecarl smirked at my self-inflicted injury, charging me once again. I caught the underside of her chin with a swift punch. She fell on her back hard, looking up to me. Her eyes flamed in rage, slowly darkening to a dark blue. Lydia sprung to her feet, snatching my dagger from the floor. I quirked an eyebrow at her. Was she that unsure of defeating me?

She yelled again, swiping the blade at me. It scratched my cheek and I hissed, feeling the blood running down quickly to join the trail from my neck. She swung again while I was off guard, the dagger coming straight for my neck.

"FUS RO DAH!"

I slammed hard against the wall, crashing down onto the display case in the corner of the room. I barely registered the shattering of the glass from the loud ringing in my ears. In my daze, I stared at the stone ceiling, my head spinning from the unexpected flight. Muffled voices made their way to my dulled ears, but I paid them no heed. I couldn't move out of shock.

Selene's worried face walked into my view, her lips moving silently. She hoisted me off of the destroyed case, her eyes widening in horror. Her lips moved frantically and Farkas ran over, dragging me to my bed. He laid me down on my belly, running back out of the room.

The ringing finally cleared and my back screamed in pain. Curiously looking over my shoulder, I caught a glimpse of glass sticking out of my flesh.

Great…

"…for less than a minute and you're fighting like fools? What has gotten into you, Lydia?" Selene was practically screaming, catching my attention sharply. The housecarl was standing next to my shelves, which were knocked over, looking at her feet shamefully. Selene had her arms crossed, glaring at the woman in front of her like a mother scolding their child. I couldn't help but smirk, despite my pain. Bitch deserved it.

"And you!" she turned her head sharply, glaring at me with those green eyes. My eyebrows shot up and my grin faded as she stomped over, stopping beside the bed. "I cannot believe your gall either, Aela!" she winced, staggering as she clutched at her wounded shoulder. I made a move to sit up and help her, but her free hand shot out to me. Her eyebrows knitted together as she collected herself, standing upright and scowling at me again. "What in Oblivion in wrong with you two?" She asked in a slightly calmer voice, however retaining her threatening edge.

"You are both warriors of valor, yet here you are acting like a bunch of drunken idiots." She shook her head, growing quiet. Selene walked over to the chair beside the bed, slumping into the seat with a groan. Her hand remained on her shoulder, caressing the wound tenderly.

"I am sorry, my Thane. I swear that th..."

"Enough." Selene cut her off, waving her free hand at the housecarl. She looked down dejectedly, her jaw clenching. I swallowed a lump rising in my throat. I had never expected to get on the bad side of the Dragonborn. As silence pervaded the room, I though of the deafening shout that had sent me flying. Was that the power of the voice? I had never heard her use a shout before, and I was unsure as to whether or not it truly was the power of old.

Farkas and Vilkas walked into the room, the latter holding a pair of small tongs. Presumably for plucking the glass from my back. I flexed my muscles unsurely, pleased that there less pain than earlier. It didn't feel like that bad of an injury. The older twin walked over, placing the small object on the nightstand and pushing the flagon Lydia had fetched earlier to the side.

"Lydia, come here," Selene said quietly, almost sadly. The housecarl obeyed, keeping her head down as she made her way to the Dragonborn. "Kneel," she complied, refusing to look up. Selene let out a small sigh and I watched curiously as she stuck a hand underneath her chin, raising her gaze. She gave the brunette a sad smile, an orange light erupting in her palm. Though I couldn't see the housecarl's face, I was sure that her nose was being healed. I looked away; Farkas was in front of me with the tongs. I winced, grinding my teeth.

Farkas certainly didn't have the hands of a healer.

* * *

Aela groaned loudly, sitting up and scratching feebly at her back. It had taken a little longer than she would have liked to extract the few small shards within her skin, but she was grateful it was over. The huntress stretched widely, trying her best to avoid eye contact with the Dragonborn and her housecarl. The two had remained quiet while she was being tended to, and the silence was a little unnerving. Now that she was patched up, Selene was likely going to give her an earful. A frown tugged at the corners of her mouth as she watched her Shield Brother drop the tongs in his lap. He stretched as well, letting out a light yawn.

"Now, what is going on here?" Vilkas asked from his perch in the doorframe. He shoved against the wood, stepping inside the room and shutting the door. Selene cleared her throat softly, glancing between Lydia and Aela.

"My housecarl believes she saw Aela sport yellow eyes and fangs. I saw no such thing myself and I think it was nothing more than a trick of the light. She believes our sister is a beast and I would like you to help me ease her mind," she spoke fluidly. The huntress suppressed the urge to raise her eyebrows in disbelief. She was a good liar. Vilkas chuckled lightly, crossing his bulky arms over his chest.

"We are valiant warriors here, housecarl. There are no monsters among our ranks. The Companions take no such deceivers into our halls, of that I give you my word. Aela is a trusted sister of the Circle and has been for several winters. She holds no secrets from us." He gave Lydia a warm smile, but her ever-present stoic mask was in place. The Companion was unfazed, however, keeping his false-front strong. Farkas nodded in agreement with his brother, standing to face her.

"He speaks the truth. I know Aela can be frightening at times, but she is no beast," he said firmly, propping himself against the wall. Lydia looked down, shuffling her feet nervously.

"I apologize for my misguided assumption," she said lowly. Selene placed a comforting hand on her arm from her seat. The twins both nodded to the women before exiting the small room. As the door shut, the huntress glanced to the Dragonborn. She was shaking slightly from her exertions, still obviously suffering from her fever. Aela stood from the bed, moving away from it.

"You should rest, Selene," she nearly whispered as she made her way to the table, taking a seat on the edge. The black haired woman nodded, gratefully lying on the vacant bed. She watched as the Dragonborn quickly succumbed to her fatigue and sighed, flexing the abused muscles of her back.

She caught Lydia at her out of the corner of her eye, slowly drifting her silver eyes to her. The housecarl was glaring at her. Again.

"Don't think this makes me trust you," she growled before stomping out of the room. Aela raised an eyebrow at her as she left, chuckling lightly at the suspicious woman.

As hard-headed as she may be, she was certainly dedicated to protecting her Thane.

* * *

"Stay still, dear. Squirming around like a beheaded chicken is only going to make this more difficult." Tilma croaked, snipping the stitches on Selene's shoulder. The Dragonborn hissed as the first string was carefully removed, keeping her gaze on her knees.

"I heard about that scuffle your stubborn housecarl gave Aela. They didn't beat each other senseless, did they?" the old woman laughed, removing another stitch. Selene gave her a smile, laughing lightly before responding.

"Lydia is a good woman, she only meant to protect me," she said with a slight growl, trying her best to ignore the string sliding from her flesh.

"Well, go on child. Tell this old woman what happened." Tilma laughed again, eager to hear the gossip. Selene shifted uncomfortably before beginning.

"Aela was having some kind of nightmare. I was concerned, so I sent Lydia went to wake her. When she did, Aela broke her nose and had a…uneasy look about her. It was… strange. Her wolf was taking over her. I managed to calm her down, but Lydia saw her eyes and fangs. I had to get Vilkas and Farkas to convince her that she didn't see anything. When we came back they were fighting like children." She shook her head, remembering the fight. "Lydia was about to slash her throat when I stepped in." Tilma gave her a quizzical look as she finished, drawing her lips into a thin line.

"Your housecarl nearly bested Aela? By Talos, she must be a mighty warrior!" she exclaimed, plucking out another stitch. Selene looked away, clicking her tongue at the statement. Lydia was more than just a housecarl to her. She was a sister, an anchor, and a dear friend. She had been by her side dutifully for many uneasy and trying months, and the Dragonborn wouldn't replace her for the world. Everyone referring to her as 'your housecarl' was beginning to get under her skin.

Though, it was completely expected. No one could understand the bond they shared unless they also had someone they held just as dear.

Selene growled as another stitch came out, catching the edge of the inflamed skin unpleasantly. The maid mumbled a 'sorry' before continuing her task, dabbing a rag at a small trickle of blood.

The Dragonborn stared at the stone floor, uninterestedly studying a crack between two blocks. The previous night had scared her quite a bit. The huntress had looked so frightened, so _vulnerable_. Though she had only known Aela a relatively short amount of time, it was enough to know that she didn't ever break down in such a manner. What had been so anguishing to make her react that way?

She was broken from her thoughts by the grating of the large stone door as it was opened. A curious glance over her shoulder revealed the remaining Circle members trudging in. Vilkas lead them, a scowl on his face.

"The old man had one wish before he died and he didn't get it. It's as simple as that." He said, stopping before the stone bowl and turning to the women on the floor. Aela strode past him, her fists clenched by her sides as she also took a place beside the ceremonial bowl.

"Being moon-born is not so much of a curse as you might think, Vilkas," the huntress placed her hands on the rim of the smooth stone, looking into its shallow curves. She could see a bit of dried blood pooled in the bottom. Her blood.

"That's fine for you, but he wanted to be clean!" he nearly growled, bringing her attention back to him. "He wanted to meet Ysgramor and know the glories of Sovengaurd. But all that was taken from him," he said slowly, crossing his arms. She cocked her head to the side, peeking at him through the curtain of her crimson bangs.

"And you avenged him." She pushed herself off of the bowl, looking at Selene as she hissed. Almost all of the stitches had been removed.

"Kodlak did not care for vengeance," Farkas stated, his scratchy voice bouncing loudly off the walls of the Underforge. His brother nodded in agreement.

"No, Farkas. He didn't. And that's not what this is about. We should be honoring Kodlak, no matter our own thoughts on the blood." Vilkas said grimly, rolling his shoulders. Aela looked to the floor, a shamed expression etching her face.

"You're right…It's what he wanted, and he deserved to have it." She whispered lowly, staring at her boots.

"Kodlak used to speak of a way to cleanse his soul, even in death. You know the legends of the Tomb of Ysgramor." Aela looked back up, furrowing her brows.

"There the souls of the Harbingers will heed the call of Northern steel. We can't even enter the tomb without Wuuthrad and it's in pieces, like it has been for a thousand years!" They all turned their heads curiously as the stone door of the Underforge ground to life, Eorlund standing in the entrance brandishing an axe.

"And dragons were just stories. And the elves once ruled Skyrim." He walked to them slowly, holding the weapon tenderly against his chest. "Just because something is, doesn't mean it must be." He stopped before them, quickly scanning the Companions within the room. "The blade is a weapon. A tool. Tools are meant to be broken. And repaired." The smith ran a hand delicately down the shaft of the weapon as if petting a cat. Vilkas took a step forward, his eyebrows nearly disappearing in his hairline in disbelief.

"Is that…? Did you repair the blade?" he whispered, his voice trembling with skepticism. The old man smiled at him, grasping the handle once more.

"This is the first time I've had all of the pieces, thanks to our Shield-Sister here," he nodded to Selene, his smiled growing wider. "'The flames of a hero can reforge the shattered.' The flames of Kodlak shall fuel the rebirth of Wuuthrad. And now it will take you to meet him once more." He took a few steps to the Dragonborn, kneeling beside her. "As the one who bore the fragments, I think you should be the one to carry Wuuthrad into battle." He placed the axe at her feet gently, standing up and turning the other Circle members. "Though your sister will need time to recuperate from her wound, the rest of you should prepare to journey to the Tomb of Ysgramor. For Kodlak." The old smith turned, quietly exiting the cave as quickly as he came.

Selene stared at the axe at her feet. Wuuthrad, the legendary axe of Ysgramor himself, was hers. Though she had spent two painstakingly long and treacherous weeks gathering the shattered pieces of the weapons, she had never thought that she, of all people, would be the one to wield it. The Dragonborn winced as another stitch was removed and the maid sighed.

"The axe of Ysgramor. You should be honored, child. No one has held that weapon since the days of the legend himself," Tilma gave her back a soft pat, "And I'm all done here. This should heal quickly now." She stood, following the path the smith had taken moments ago. Selene hiked the folds of her robes of her shoulders, pulling the buttons through their respective loops and pondering the old woman's words. You should be honored to do this, honored to do that. The same monotonous thing everywhere she went.

Farkas stepped over to her, the clanking of his boots ringing loudly off the granite walls. He extended a large hand to her, which she accepted with a warm smile and grabbed the axe.

"We should begin our preparations." Vilkas said, dropping his arms to his side. "We leave in three days. That should be long enough for your shoulder to heal, Selene." He said gruffly.

He slowly made his way to the exit, the others silently agreeing and following. He shouldered the great stone door, leading the Shield Sibling into the light of day.

**Revieewwwww... Dooooooo Iiiiiittttttttt. *waves hypnosis ring back and forth***


	9. Journey to the Crypt

**_Lieber __unbekannt,_**

**_Lol.__Ich habe nichts dagegen__, welche Sprache Sie __verwenden.__Bewertungen__in allen Sprachen__machen__mein Tag!__Wenn es nicht__in Englisch oder Deutsch__kann ich__immer__Google__übersetzen.__Oder so ähnlich__. __Bitte beachten Sie__genießen__die Geschichte__und Ihre__Bewertungen__sind immer willkommen!__Ich bin__froh, dass ich__den Tag.__;)_**

**__Ok, this chapter is a shortie. But, pay attention to this one, it holds some important information! =3. Please enjoy. **

**Coommmeeennnntttt. Now. Please? Let me grovel...  
**

She watched another drunken Nord run up to the bard, slurring to him to play another song. The man shook his head profusely, stating he was done for the time being and he needed a short break. The Nord scowled, trudging back to his seat while swearing loudly for all to hear.

Selene sighed, looking into her nearly empty mug. Though it was nice to get away from the bustling questions of the Companions, the Bannered Mare wasn't much better. Here, it was much louder due to the small space and the booming voices of the patrons stung her ears. The Dragonborn downed the last of her mead, placing the metal tankard back onto the bar gently. As she stood, she plucked a few septims out of her deceptively small coin purse, slapping them onto the counter and leaving the crowded inn.

The frigid nighttime air slammed into her as she shut the door, causing her to shiver slightly. Selene shifted under her heavy Orcish armor and began trudging down the path. Her hair danced in her face as a strong gust of wind blew by, but the Dragonborn paid it no mind. She was used to the raven strands constantly drifting into her face; it came with having long hair. She grasped the handle of her sword habitually, winding through the city.

She had no destination in particular; the woman just felt the need to go on a walk.

The nearly-healed silver wound scraped against her shoulder plate uncomfortably as she roamed the city, trying her best to ignore it. She was grateful that due to her beast blood, the wound was closing up quite nicely. But, it still itched considerably. Cicadas and crickets sung loudly around her, giving the nighttime a serene peace. She smiled, breathing in the crisp air. Perhaps she would go on a hunt.

Selene made her way to her home in a timely fashion, surprised to find it unlocked. She furrowed her eyebrows dangerously, drawing her sword. Lydia never left the door unlocked. She pushed the door open cautiously, looking for anything out of the ordinary. The dining and cooking area was untouched, the cooking fire smoldering lightly in the pit. Nothing knocked over, no blood. She stepped inside, expertly sneaking around the stairs to her alchemy lab. The door was open, just as it had been when she left. Sword first, she stepped in. Nothing.

Selene backed up, the hair on the back of her neck bristling as she detected movement from her room. With the grace of a seasoned assassin, she scaled the staircase. She quickly glanced inside Lydia's room, where the housecarl was sleeping soundly in her bed. Her lips curled in a silent snarl, gripping her sword tighter. Selene gritted her teeth as she approached her room. The door was slightly ajar.

She slammed it open, instantly sprinting to a hooded figure standing in front of her bed. Her weapon made its way to their neck, causing the person to go ridged against her blade.

"You're improving on your skills," they said in an instantly recognizable raspy, yet soft voice. Selene smiled, dropping the weapon and stepping back. The person turned, their hood hiding the majority of their features and their slate colored skin. However, she could never forget those amethyst eyes.

Karliah.

"What do I owe this visit?" Selene asked politely, sheathing her sword and walking to the small table in the corner of the room, slowly lowering herself into the old chair. The Dunmer followed, taking the other seat.

"Its Gallus' journal. Enthir finally translated its contents. They are… quite disturbing, but not surprising," she said slowly, reaching into one of the pouches across her bosom. She procured a small bundle of folded parchment and passed it the Dragonborn. She raised a dark eyebrow at the papers before taking them, unfolding the notes with delicate fingers.

Selene frowned as she read the neat font, quickly sifting through the pages. Mercer had been stealing from the guild for years and Gallus had been catching on. Her frown deepened as she realized that Gallus had been killed nearly twenty years ago. Mercer had likely continued his scheme this entire time. As her eyes scanned the last sentences, she lowered the papers to her lap, looking to Karliah.

"This is disturbing news indeed," she whispered, folding the parchments neatly and placed them on the table. The Dunmer nodded, her gaze resting on her knees.

"I now know this is the reason behind Gallus' murder. He was close to revealing the truth." Karliah shook her head and sighed softly. Selene pursed her lips. The death of the former guild master still haunted her, even after all these years.

"What was this part about something called the Twilight Sepulcher?" the Dragonborn tapped the folded parchment lightly, prompting the woman to look at her. She gave her a small smile.

"You've come this far, so I see no harm in concealing it any longer," the Dunmer took in a deep breath, sitting straight against the back of her chair. "The Twilight Sepulcher is the temple to Nocturnal. It's what the Nightingales are sworn to protect with their lives." Selene cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Why does it require that type of protection?"

"Everything that represents Nocturnal's influence is contained within the walls of the Sepulcher." She looked away with a scowl. "Now it seems Mercer's broken his oath with Nocturnal and defiled the very thing he swore to protect."

"Thieves and Temples? An unlikely combination," Selene observed. Karliah turned her head back to the Dragonborn with a weak smile.

"I felt the same way when Gallus first revealed these things to me. I think given time, you'll understand what I mean." The black haired woman shook her head slightly, her raven locks batting at her eyes.

"I'd understand better if it was not shrouded in mystery." Karliah let out a short laugh.

"As a Nightingale, I've been sworn to secrecy regarding the Sepulcher. I know the Guild doesn't do much to foster faith, but I'm going to have to ask that you continue to trust me." Selene gave her a curt nod, prompting her to continue. "I'll make for Riften to scout the situation; see if I can discover what Mercer's up to. When you're ready, meet me at the Ragged Flagon."

She paused, unclasping an ebony sword attached to her hip. She delicately passed the weapon over to Selene. She took it gratefully, examining the intricately designed hilt. A nightingale bird arching its wings to envelope a star.

"I wanted you to have this. It belonged to Gallus, but given the circumstances I think he'd approve." The Dunmer woman whispered lowly. Selene looked up incredulously.

"I can't accept this," she extended the weapon back to Karliah. She wrapped her fingers around Selene's, gently pushing the sword away.

"Take it. Perhaps his skill will aid you in battle," the Dragonborn looked down to the sheathed sword, nodding slowly. This was possibly the only thing Karliah had left to remember her lover by and she was giving it to her? She bit back a sigh. There was no way of knowing that for sure, but accepting the weapon felt… wrong.

"I'll put it to good use. Thank you, Karliah." She said with a smile, looking back up to her amethyst eyes. "But there is one thing. I must remain here for the time being. Tomorrow I disembark to avenge the death of a dear friend." Karliah nodded in understanding.

"How long do you need? We cannot delay much longer, lest Mercer escapes." Selene bit her lip in thought. The Tomb of Ysgramor was at least a day's journey from Whiterun and there was no telling how long they would spend in the crypt.

"Give me at least a week. That should give me enough time to fulfill my duties and journey to Riften." Karliah stood with a nod, lightly stepping to the door of the room.

"Please make haste with your mission, Selene. I shudder to think of what Mercer is planning," she turned her back to the Dragonborn, placing a hand on the edge of the open door. "Walk with the shadows." She slipped out of the room, silently exiting the house. Even with her enhanced hearing, Selene couldn't hear the door shut below.

She sighed deeply, staring at the blade in her lap. Things were just getting more and more complicated.

Aela yelped as a particularly sharp rock stabbed the arch of her foot through her boot.

She jumped backwards, snarling at the ground at her inanimate foe. A few chuckles met her ears and she looked up to see her companions snickering at her. She growled, trudging past them.

Farkas walked up beside her, a teasing grin on his face. "What's the matter Aela? Big bad wolf get a stone in her paw?" he jested, gaining a swift punch to his armored shoulder. He reeled back, howling with laugher. The huntress huffed in irritation, marching forward through the rocky terrain. So what? She just stepped on a pointy rock. Happens to everyone.

His deep chortling finally died away behind her, allowing her to listen to the silent landscape. The group had been traveling for several hours towards the crypt and quite frankly, Aela was already peeved with the group. Though Farkas was normally great company to her, he was being… irritating. No matter what she did, whether it be sneezing or stepping on a sharp rock, the young werewolf wasn't far behind with some kind of joke.

She sighed, digging her hands into the side of the nearly-vertical hill before her. The huntress wasn't far from lopping his head off. His brother wasn't helping either. Vilkas was quick with a witty response as well.

They had a mission, dammit. They weren't a gallivanting party of jesters.

Aela hoisted herself up the knoll with a grunt, placing her hands on the small of her back and stretching. She turned, bending down to give Selene a hand. The Dragonborn took it hastily before she lost her balance and allowed herself to be yanked forward. Farkas was right behind her and extended a hand towards the huntress for her to pull him up as well. She crossed her arms, sticking her tongue out at her Shield-Brother.

"Pull your own damn weight, ice brain." She teased, stepping backwards. The bulky Nord frowned at her and grabbed at a root sticking out of the Earth in front of him. As he pulled on the root, it snapped out of the ground. Farkas let out a wild scream as he lost his balance and plummeted backwards. There was another yell as he landed atop his brother in a disorderly heap.

The huntress peered over the edge of the pseudo-cliff with a smug grin, staring down the lengthy drop at the precariously jumbled men. She let out a bark of laughter at the sight. After several long hours of taunting and teasing, she finally had her retribution. Karma was a _bitch_. Selene carefully stepped up beside her, examining their Shield Brothers as well. The Dragonborn put a hand over her mouth, stifling her laughter as she backed away from the ledge.

"Get off of me you idiot!" Vilkas grumbled, shoving his brother's bulk off of him. Aela calmed herself as she watched them scramble to their feet, adjusting their respective chest plates and beginning the climb once again. She backed away from the edge to give her Shield Brothers room, stopping by Selene and crossing her arms. Her smile faded as she caught the Dragonborn scowling at the distance.

"What is it?" the huntress asked as the twins finally clambered over the edge. Selene shook her head, keeping her gaze transfixed at a shallow cave that was only a few yards away. Aela took a few tentative steps forward in front of the Dragonborn, sniffing the air. There were no strange scents on the wind. What in the world was she staring at?

Just as she was about to turn and ask, a pair of strong arms yanked her back by her waist. She yelped in surprise as she was pulled to the ground, landing roughly on top of Selene as an arrow whizzed by. Right where she had been standing. She stared at the sky in shock. How had she not seen an archer?

Vilkas and Farkas unsheathed their swords in seconds, bounding in the direction the attacker had fired from. She sat up with Selene, watching the brothers quickly close the short distance between them and the cave. The rogue jumped up from his hiding place in a futile attempt to escape the Companions. They swarmed him swiftly, cutting him down before he even had the chance to draw his blade. The huntress let out a sigh in relief. At least he wouldn't be a problem any longer.

A small blush crept across her cheeks as she realized Selene still had her arms around her waist and she was sitting on her lap. The raven haired woman made no attempt to move, lowering her chin onto Aela's shoulder pad to watch the twins drag the lifeless attacker back to them. She swallowed hard as Selene tightened her grip around her lithe waist ever so slightly; a protective gesture that sent hundreds of butterflies soaring within her gut.

Vilkas stopped in front of them and dropped the leg of the stranger he was dragging him by. The man was wearing a strange suit or black and read leather armor that was complete with a face mask. His brother knelt beside the corpse, digging through the man's pockets. Farkas grunted as he pulled out a neatly folded piece of parchment and opened it.

"Son of a bitch," he growled, passing the paper to Aela. She raised her eyebrows, scanning the scraggly letters.

_As instructed, you are to eliminate Aela by any means necessary. The Black Sacrament has been performed - somebody wants this poor fellow dead._

We've already received payment for the contract. Failure is not an option.

-Astrid

Aela widened her eyes in disbelief, scanning the text over and over. Someone wanted her dead? She heard Selene's breath hitch as she read the paper over her shoulder.

"Who'd you piss off?" Farkas rumbled, plucking the dead assassin's coin purse off of his belt. Aela shook her head, crumpling the parchment angrily. She had very few enemies, so who would have the gall to send someone to kill her? And an agent of the Dark Brotherhood no less? It was baffling.

Selene tightened her grip around the huntress' waist, standing abruptly and Aela bit back a gasp in shock. She knew the woman was the Dragonborn and all, but _damn _she was strong. Standing up while wearing heavy Orcish armor and pulling her up to? This woman was definitely a Nord. Selene's arm lingered around her waist for a few seconds before pulling it away, allowing her fingertips to brush against the huntress' exposed side.

Aela looked down to the paper in her hands, clicking her tongue. "I wonder who this Astrid person is," she said quietly, taking a few steps towards her Shield Brothers. They shrugged in sync, stepping away from the corpse. She carefully tucked the letter into a small pouch on her belt. Probably best to not let anyone else get a hold of this.

The huntress slowly made her way forward, barely aware of her Shield Siblings in pursuit. She cautiously scanned the landscape, sniffing the air here and there in an attempt to pick up any unfamiliar scents. After that assassin, the crimson haired woman was a little on edge. If the Dark Brotherhood discovered she was still alive, there would no doubt be another murderer dispatched to come after her. A shiver crawled down her spine at the thought. Great, now she would be constantly looking over her shoulder.

The Companions slowly wound their way through the rugged terrain in silence; quietness the huntress accepted with open arms. She wasn't in the mood for jokes.

The concept of time was lost to her. Hours, minutes, seconds. Aela wasn't sure how long they had been walking as she came to the rim of an ancient burial mound. She looked down curiously, spotting a few urns and a small chest. The bones of small game littered the opening and moss curled down the sides of the stone. Vilkas walked up beside her, grunting in satisfaction.

"This is it. The Tomb of Ysgramor."

**Ohh! Karliah? Oh yes, I adore her. Fuck you for not making her marryable, Bethesda! If she was, Sorry Aela, but you'd have one hell of a run for your money.**


	10. Ysgramor's Tomb

**Whew! This chapter took a little longer than I would have liked, but please enjoy the outcome!I've been busy lately, so chapters may roll out a little slower. Thanks to MirroredShalott for Betaing this chapter!**

**Don't forget to leave a review! Please?**

The large metallic door slammed shut behind them, the unpleasant ringing echoing off the stone walls of the tomb.

"This is the resting place of Ysgramor," Vilkas started, taking point of the group. The small party quickly exited the hallway and into the foyer. The first thing Aela noticed was a grand statue of the first Harbinger intricately sculpted to define his glory. The statue held out its arms as if holding a weapon, but there was nothing within its stony grasp. Two large stone columns flanked it, spiraling to the high ceiling of the room with moss dangling from them. On each wall there were gargantuan sculptures of faces, each overlooking an archway. Aela pursed her lips at the carvings. They were… unsettling.

"And his most trusted generals," Vilkas continued, stopping before the grand statue of their forefather. He glanced over the offerings laid at the feet of the stone Harbinger and drew in a deep breath. "You should be cautious." His Shield Siblings turned to him with quizzical expressions.

"Are you not coming?" Selene asked quietly, voicing everyone's disbelief. He shook his head solemnly and looked to his feet.

"Kodlak was right. I let vengeance rule my heart. I regret nothing of what we did at Driftshade, but I can't go any further with my mind fogged or my heart grieved." He trailed off to a near whisper. Selene stepped to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Do not worry, brother. If you believe your place is here and not in battle, we shall not judge your decision. It is better to know your reluctance rather than charge into the fray to your death." She dropped her hand and he gave her a weak smile. The Huntress felt her lips curl into a smirk as well. The Dragonborn was wise beyond her years.

"Return Wuuthrad to Ysgramor. It should open the way," Vilkas said with slightly more vigor and Selene nodded to him, turning to face the effigy. She tugged the axe off of her back as she came to a stop before Ysgramor, standing on her tiptoes to return Wuuthrad to its owner. There was a loud click accompanied by the grinding of stone as it came down gently in his grasp.

Aela pulled her bow out of its holster, watching the slab of stone retreat into the archway and revealing the entrance to the bowels of the tomb. She gripped her weapon tightly, shooting Vilkas a glance. He looked back to her and nodded for her to continue without him. The Huntress turned, sprinting after her Shield Siblings that had already descended the dark corridor.

She descended the small stone hallway, ducking her head to avoid the massive netting of spider webs that were intricately woven across the entire span of the ceiling. She caught up with them quickly, stopping behind Selene and laughing at the unusual sight before the women. Farkas was flailing his arms about wildly, ripping the silky spider webs that covered the majority of his body off of his face. Selene turned her head with a smirk to look at the giggling Huntress. They locked eyes for a brief moment before the Dragonborn joined her laughter.

"Shut up!" Farkas barked and stilled his frantic movements. The women continued to snigger as he bent down to grab his weapon. Aela bit back a taunt, now wasn't the time. Even if it was incredibly tempting to tease the young werewolf. As he turned to proceed down the hall, the Huntress caught sight of movement in the shadows. She swiftly nocked an arrow and fired at the moving shade. A high-pitched squeak echoed off the walls as her arrow stuck true. A skeever.

Farkas charged forward as another rodent leapt from the shadows and bounded at him. It was quickly silenced with a squeal. He grunted as he removed the tip of his greatsword from the rat.

"Looks like this may be an easy trip," he rasped, clutching his weapon and rounding the corner. The women followed and Aela paused to wrench the arrow out of the skeever she had killed. No need to waste precious ammunition.

They carefully stepped over the thick roots snaking across the cracked stone and wound their way into another large room. Aela glanced around to the stone caskets lining the walls. She gripped her bow, wearily drawing her recently-reacquired arrow back. She didn't like the looks of this. Selene readied her sword as well, sensing the Huntress' hesitation.

There was a faint wail that sent shivers down her spine, resounding ominously in the enclosed space. She spun around with her bow at the ready, looking for the source only to come up empty handed in her search.

"What was that?" Farkas grumbled, spinning in place as well. There was nothing but dust and coffins in the room. Aela swallowed hard as her gaze landed on a black sarcophagus.

And not a moment too soon.

A nearly translucent figure stepped out of the coffin. His form wisped away at the edges as he moved forward, pulling the ghostly axe from his back. A chill worked its way up her spine as the specter turned his head to the Huntress and screamed as he lunged forward.

Aela flinched before releasing the arrow, nearly collapsing in relief as it pierced his neck. She took a step back as the ghost exploded, the energy of his spectral form spun wildly through the air and collected into a small puddle where he once stood. A cry caught her attention and the Huntress spun around to see Selene standing over Farkas, engaged in battle with another ghost. She wasted no time in drawing her bow back once more, striking the translucent being in the shoulder. It reeled back and howled in pain.

Selene jumped at the opportunity and quickly shoved her blade through its ethereal abdomen. The phantom froze, looking down to her sword and screaming horrifically. It followed the fate of its companion, reducing into nothing more than an ectoplasmic puddle at the Dragonborn's feet.

"Easy trip, huh?" Selene quipped as she helped her Shield Brother to his feet. He pursed his lips at the Dragonborn and huffed. Her dark eyebrows danced playfully at him before she knelt down, delicately dipping her fingers in the glowing puddle in front of her before rolling the tips of her fingers together. She played with the substance for a moment as her Shield Siblings watched curiously.

The Dragonborn procured a small flask and scooped up a bit of the ectoplasm before standing. She corked the vial with a grin, tucking it safely into a pouch on her belt and readying her weapon. Selene twisted the heavy sword to adjust her grip and stepped towards the door.

She pushed the iron doors cautiously, revealing another large room. A stone staircase led down to the center of the chamber with two alcoves flanking it. Aela peered over the Dragonborn's shoulder carefully and scanned the numerous coffins lining the walls visible to her. The Huntress clicked her tongue at the sight. There was no telling how many of Ysgramor's generals would attack them in this room.

Aela took a step back as a wave of filth assaulted her sensitive nose. Decay, death, and a few undistinguishable scents overwhelmed the Huntress and she couldn't suppress the gag that worked its way out of her. Her companions turned to her as she retched a single time, but the woman waved them off. Aela took a deep breath to steady herself and vowed not to breathe through her nose until they were at the surface once more.

An arrow slid silently out of its resting place strapped to Aela's back as the Dragonborn led them down the stairs. It was nocked into place just as quietly as its owner shuffled down the stone. The Huntress winced inwardly every time Farkas' heavy steps rang throughout the expansive room, giving away their presence to their foes. It slightly surprised her that Selene's steps were as silent as death; the woman was wearing full Orcish armor for Talos' sake! Her armor had to have been twice the weight of her Shield Brother's. Aela smirked at the thought. The Dragonborn was more than likely the thief she was rumored to be.

Selene stopped at the base of the stairs and examined a single coffin in the middle of the room juxtaposed by two small shelves. She brushed the strands of raven hair out of her face as she knelt beside one of the shelves and dug through a burial urn. She procured two small amethysts from the jar with a grin and tucked them into her belt.

Definitely a thief.

As the lid softly slid shut a sharp wail caused Aela to spin around, pulling her bowstring taut. Several apparitions were stepping from their graves and readying their weapons. The muscles in the Huntress' back flexed and twitched as her companions pressed their cold armor against the exposed skin on her back to make a triangle between them.

Shrieks bounced off the stone walls with such intensity that Aela thought the sound alone would make her sick. She licked her lips as she drew in a breath, shutting an eye to aim at the throat of one of her opponents. There were five stirring and hollering from the alcove she faced and from the sounds of it, Selene and Farkas had just as many foes.

The Huntress released the arrow and watched as it buried deep into her target's translucent forehead. It dropped its ethereal sword and screamed before it became nothing more than a puddle of ectoplasm. The phantoms grew quiet throughout the room, staring to their fallen comrade.

Aela swallowed, careful to keep breathing through her mouth and backed further towards her Shield Siblings. Her arrow was swiftly replaced as she studied the ghosts.

The chorus of wails resumed and the ethereal warriors charged forward. Aela did not hesitate picking off another phantom before trading her bow for her dagger. As soon as she ripped the steel from its resting place, a wisping blue greatsword rushed down at her. The Huntress hastily threw her blade out to parry the attack and swore under her breath. She should have brought her shield. The specter's sword clanged loudly against the stone floor and Aela leapt forward before he could react. She swung swiftly, catching the apparition in the exposed soft tissue of their neck. She spun and her sword arm twitched slightly at the sensation of cutting the ghost. It felt like she had actually cut a living being.

The phantom screamed and gurgled before reducing to nothing. Aela yelped in surprise when an arrow struck the thick iron of her left shoulder pad. The projectile snapped at the tip from the blinding speed of the shot and the shaft hit her in the face. She growled, spinning to face the culprit. There was a ghost in the far corner of the alcove with a glowing bow pulled back with another arrow. Aela hissed, strafing to the left as the arrow was released. The Huntress ran forward and quickly closed the distance between them before the specter could line up another shot.

Her dagger hastily buried itself to the hilt in the specter's abdomen. She gritted her teeth harshly together to suppress the disgust that came with watching her steel plunge into its ethereal flesh. She could see the tip of the dagger waving lucidly in its core, bending and contracting from the strange illusions the phantom's body produced.

It let out a sickly cry before exploding from the Huntress' grasp and gathering in a gooey mass at her feet. Aela quickly scanned the area and noted there were no undead warriors running at her, but were all collected around the other Companions. Her weapons were quickly exchanged and the string on her bow went taut with an arrow at the ready. She squeezed her eye shut, aiming at a straggling specter several feet away from the rest of the warriors.

The bowstring vibrated wildly as the projectile was sent flying forth and sunk deep into the phantom's temple. His remains pooled on the floor, mixing with the ectoplasm of his brothers and sisters that had fallen shortly before. Aela drew back again and targeted another foe that was dashing towards Selene. The Dragonborn was already engaged in a desperate battle between two ghosts and was swearing loudly. The Huntress fired, taking out the apparition just as he raised his sword towards the raven haired woman's unprotected backside.

Selene ducked into a sharp roll, bounding behind one of her large opponents. She sprung up gracefully with a flick of her wrists and Aela raised her eyebrows in astonishment. This woman was full of surprises of amazing dexterity and strength. The Dragonborn bared her teeth in frustration as the sharp edge of a battleaxe swung dangerously close to her face. The Huntress heard her loose a bestial growl and Selene gripped her weapon with both hands, twisting her body to swing it around and build momentum. The blade cleaved the phantom halfway through his lightly armored torso. It jerked violently against her sword and joined the fallen.

Aela whipped out another arrow and fired at Selene's other ghostly foe. The phantom was about to swing his greatsword at her exposed side when it stuck him in the shoulder, causing the specter to shriek and reel back. The Dragonborn seized the opportunity and jumped forward, slicing the exposed skin on its throat. She spun to face the Huntress, giving a curt nod in thanks and dashed towards another warrior.

The crimson haired woman stared down the shaft of an arrow as she aimec at one of the phantoms crowding Farkas. Her Shield Brother was faring well against the spectral hoard. Every powerful swing with his mighty sword chopped another foe nearly in two. She smirked as she picked off a ghost that was strafing behind him. He didn't need the help, but she was obligated to assist. Overconfidence can easily be the downfall of even the most seasoned of warriors. Farkas cut down the two remaining phantoms in front of him, huffing as he brought his blade across his chest in a defensive stance. He pivoted around as he scanned for any more specters. His eyes landed on the sole survivor of the ghostly warriors that was already clashing swords with the Dragonborn.

Selene threw her sword above her and caught the specter's battle axe before it could come crashing down on her skull. She shoved his weapon to the side, kicking his knee out from under him. The ghost fell to the ground, its weapon clattering loudly in the chamber as the Dragonborn delivered the final blow.

Tendrils of energy twisted and twirled through the air before settling amongst the coagulated ectoplasm already coating the floor. Aela sighed, lowering her bow and swiping the back of her hand against her sweat-beaded forehead. The Huntress made for her Shield Siblings, scanning over both of them quickly and noting that neither seemed to have taken any damage in the fight. A pleased smirk graced her lips as she reached them and placed a hand on her hips as she came to a stop.

"Everyone alright?" Selene asked while pulling a rag from her belt. Aela nodded, watching the woman wipe a generous amount of ectoplasm from her gloved hands. The Huntress curiously wiggled her fingers and scrunched her nose as she realized the goo was coating her hands as well. She followed suit, pulling out a scrap piece of cloth she carried to clean her weapon. As Aela rid her forearms and hands of the ectoplasm, she glanced up to see Selene wiping large globs of the goopy substance from her sword.

"Any ideas on the size of this place?" Farkas grumbled, half heartedly flicking his wrists to deal with his own slimy problem. The Huntress shrugged as she wiped the last bits of ectoplasm from her dagger, sheathed it, and pulled out her bow. She frowned as a bit of slime shone back at her in the low torchlight.

"It's not very large, actually," the Dragonborn responded as she shook out her rag. Farkas raised his eyebrows at her, huffing in response. Aela tossed her own cloth to the floor with out a second thought, readying an arrow into place and her companions followed suit. Now that they were a little cleaned up, they could continue.

Farkas took point and led them to the dark corridor underneath the Southern alcove. Two torches flanked the entrance, providing little light for the expansive staircase that led them deeper within the tomb. Aela watched him tentatively begin down the flight of stairs, ducking low to avoid the numerous and large spider webs clinging to the ceiling of the corridor. She sniggered softy and followed her Shield Brother down the dank passageway. The Huntress squinted in the low light and attempted to look past the hulking form of the man in front of her to no avail. She took in a deep breath through her parted lips, willing her footfalls to be silent against the mossy stone.

Low torchlight flickered against the walls of the hallway, signaling the end of the staircase. Farkas tucked himself low to the ground as he came to the exit to avoid running into a particularly elaborate and thick spider web. Aela mimicked him as she spotted the arachnid that had built the massive trap sitting near the corner. The body of the insect alone was the size of her outstretched palm and the colors of the spider indicated that it was lethally venomous.

As Aela entered the chamber behind Farkas, she raised her bow from her side and pulled back her readied arrow. She spun around, looking for any signs of the spectral warriors. When her silver gaze swept the area without any signs of the phantoms, she lowered her bow. The Huntress took a few steps forward, keeping her weapon ready in case any specters sprang from one of the many coffins lining the vast chamber. Selene stalked past her slowly with her Orcish sword raised across her chest. The Dragonborn proceeded towards the shallow pool that spanned the majority of the room and peered into the water curiously. Aela guessed from where she stood that it was at least ankle deep and opted to stay out of the liquid.

The Huntress studied the room quickly, noting the walkways surrounding the shallow pool were extremely narrow. The coffins lining the stone took up the majority of the path. She clicked her tongue at the sight. If the ghosts attacked them in this room, she would more than likely have to get her feet wet.

The soft click of a metal latch caught her attention and Aela twisted swiftly with her bowstring taut. The softest laugh escaped her parted lips and she lowered her bow when she spotted the Dragonborn rummaging through a chest on the opposite side of the pool. Her eyebrows rose when Selene pulled a deep violet sword from the open container with a beaming smile. The sickly green of her Orcish sword disappeared within its sheath and the raven haired woman twirled the new weapon in her palm. She sliced the air to test the balance of the sword, stilling it before her face to inspect the blade. Selene delicately thumbed the sharp edge and her smile grew. The glistening Ebony sword was obviously in good condition.

Just as the Dragonborn turned to face her Shield Siblings, the increasingly familiar cries of the phantoms rang throughout the room. Aela readied her bow once again as she eyed the sarcophaguses along the water's edge. Translucent blue figures phased into view from their tombs, pulling out their ethereal weapons and yelling toward the Companions. Aela wasted no time in disposing a ghost that appeared a scant few feet from where she stood. As its energy swirled through the air, she readied another shot and fired at second phantom before the ectoplasm of her first victim had the chance to pool on the ground. It followed the same fate and the Huntress hastily swapped her weapons as she glimpsed the form of a charging warrior in her peripherals. His translucent sword came down with blinding speed, giving Aela little time to react. The tip of her dagger bounced off the large blade as she attempted to parry the attack, but the steel within her grasp was effortlessly knocked away.

Aela winced and swore loudly, staggering back a few steps as she watched the ruby droplets pouring from her left bicep. The Huntress bared her teeth and twisted the steel in her palm as the specter let out a hollow cackle. She let her arm hang limp by her side as she swung viciously and nicked the warrior across the cheek. He roared at her, swinging the greatsword in a vertical arc. Aela jumped back to barely miss the end of the lucid blade and hissed as her arm brushed against the edge of a coffin. Her eyes snapped open when the familiar feeling of icy stone touched her bare back.

She was trapped.

She watched his rotten lips curl around the few teeth that remained behind his ethereal flesh as he pulled back the sword to run her through. Aela swallowed hard as she searched for an escape. But, the hulking form of the phantom blocked the narrow path. She gritted her teeth in fury and slammed her body against the coffin to her right as the blade came at her, narrowly missing her side and sinking into the granite. The Huntress leapt at the opportunity, ducking into a roll past his legs and jumping to her feet. A throaty growl tore from her parted lips before she lunged forward, stabbing the phantom square in the back. He shrieked horrifically, lurching off her steel and swinging his weapon blindly around.

Aela howled as she was knocked to the ground and landed in the shallow pool behind her. She sputtered as water shot up her nose, sitting up quickly and frantically grasping around for her dagger, which she had lost during the fall. The Huntress growled in irritation when it was nowhere to be found. Aela sprung to her feet, tenderly touching the side of her cheek where the ghost's blade had hit her. The flesh stung to touch, but as she pulled her hand away, there was no blood on her fingers. She must have been hit by the broad side of the sword. Her silver eyes shot around frantically in an attempt to find her blade once more, but began to back away as the specter roared at her, jumping into the shallow water to pursue her.

Aela knew to never to turn your back on an enemy, but as she heard a distinct growl from the Dragonborn only a few feet away, the Huntress bolted towards the raven haired woman. Selene had her back to Aela, but she grinned as she quickly closed the distance between them. Just as the Dragonborn disposed of her enemy, Aela pressed herself against the woman, careful not to hit her nearly severed arm against the woman. She snaked her arm around her waist, grabbing the hilt of the Orcish sword resting in its sheath. She ripped the blade out and spun back around just in time to throw it above her, catching the greatsword barreling down at her. The Huntress hissed at the force of the blow and swore lowly as she threw the weapon to the side. She swung the heavy sword fiercely, cutting deep into the abdomen of the phantom. It shrieked pathetically before falling to its knees and clutched at the sickly purple organs the slipped out of the wound. Aela wrinkled her nose in disgust at the lucid insides of the ghost and threw the sword back out, sinking into the shoulder of the warrior.

She raised the sword across her chest weakly, wishing she had use of her other arm. And a shield. She sighed in relief once she scanned the entire room and detected no ethereal warriors. Aela dropped the sword hastily and clutched at her wound as a sharp wave of pain nearly sent her to her knees. Blood seeped between her fingers at an alarming rate and the Huntress growled lowly, staggering back a few steps. The water sloshed around her ankles and splashed the backs of her thighs unpleasantly. The frigid liquid sent chills throughout her body and made her injury flare madly.

Gentle arms wrapped around her and squeezed her tightly, carful to miss the wound. They guided her to the dry walkway and the Huntress was propped against the mossy wood of a support beam. Selene crouched in front of her, ripping off her right glove and tossing it to the side. Aela's silver orbs squeezed shut and she gritted her teeth. It felt as if the ghost had cleaved her arm to the bone. He probably did.

The Dragonborn gently placed her bare fingers over Aela's, prying the woman's hand away from the abrasion. Selene bit her lip at the fast flow of the Huntress' blood, gushing down her arms to coat her gauntlets and the floor. She wasted no time, shutting her emerald eyes to focus the energy necessary to cast her spell. Her eyes shot back open when the spell erupted on her palm, tendrils of pure life energy swirling around her outstretched fingers. Selene applied the brilliant lights to the crimson haired woman's arm. Her dark eyebrows furrowed in concentration as the magick allowed her to determine the nature of the wound. The phantom's attack had severed her bicep completely and had nicked the quadriceps below. The bone was almost cut in half. The Dragonborn shuddered. This would take a lot of energy to heal properly. If she hastily proceeded, she could stitch the muscles back together improperly and wind up permanently handicapping Aela. Selene drew in a deep breath to help herself concentrate on mending the bone first.

Aela groaned at the sensation of the bone extending to touch once more. The material mended slowly together and finally solidified once more. Selene moved on to the muscles, allowing the knowledge her magick provided to guide her careful reconstruction of the Huntress' tendons and muscle. Sweat began to bead on the Dragonborn's forehead and ran uncomfortably down the back of her neck. Selene shifted and bit her bottom lip harder, nearly drawing blood from the abused flesh.

The blood slowed as the outer skin began to stitch itself together after several minutes of rigorous concentration and attentive care from Selene. Aela's tanned skin met in a fine pink line, nearly fading completely and leaving the faintest scar. The Dragonborn fell back onto her bottom, huffing at the extreme loss of stamina she sustained. That had been an extremely difficult wound to heal.

Aela flexed the muscles curiously, smiling softly when her arm felt to be in perfect health. She wiggled her fingers and swirled her wrist before looking to the exhausted woman before her. Selene looked wearily at her with a small smile.

"Are you alright?" she asked quietly, pulling two small vials from her belt. Aela nodded as she watched her gulp down the contents of the first tiny blue bottle and made a disgusted face. Selene coughed roughly and shook her head in repulsion from the potion. "Good, I'm glad it healed properly." The Dragonborn then uncorked the second, green vial and downed it as well. She shook her head as she tossed the empty glasses to the side, wiping a bit of the green potion off of her lip with a precise thumb.

Heavy footfalls echoing across the expansive chamber caught the Huntress' attention and she turned her head to see Farkas approaching them slowly. He wore an ashamed expression, keeping his eyes down at the cold stone he treaded upon. Selene also turned to their Shield Brother and rose her eyebrows inquisitively.

"I can't go any further, Shield Sisters," he said lowly as he stopped at their sides. Aela rose her eyebrows at him as well.

"What's the matter?" She asked, adjusting to face him a little better. He gestured over his shoulder to a doorway on the far side of the chamber. Thick webs coated the walls and floor, barring the stone archway into the next room.

"Ever since Dustman's Cairn, the big crawly ones have been too much for me. Everyone has his weakness, and this one is mine." He looked away sadly, crossing his arms over his goo-ridden chest. "I'm not proud, but I will stay back with Vilkas. Give my regards to Ysgramor." The women nodded in understanding as he gave them one last regretful glimpse and trudged away towards the entrance of the tomb. They watched him go in silence and Aela continued to stare at the empty staircase until his heavy metallic steps faded in the distance.

She looked back to Selene and caught her eye. "Just you and me now," The Dragonborn joked lightly and Aela stood, extending her arm to the woman. She took it gratefully and allowed herself to be hauled to her feet by the Huntress.

"We'll make it through just fine then, won't we?" Aela grinned back, dipping down to retrieve the Dragonborn's Orcish weapon. Noting that she was practically drenched from her recent tussle, she didn't hesitate in walking through the water to search for her lost weapon. She trudged around the area where her fight had taken place, scanning fruitlessly through the shallow pool and over the cold stone. No dagger glinted back at her in the torchlight and she frowned.

"What is it?" Selene asked quietly, slowly sloshing through the liquid to reach the Huntress' side. Aela looked to her with a scowl on her face, wrinkling the faded war paint on her brows.

"I lost my dagger," she replied in irritation, casting her silver eyes over the chamber once again. Selene also began to look around, taking a few steps to the edge of the pool in their search. The Huntress followed suit, combing the floors for her precious weapon. She had taken great care of her dagger since she had received it the day she was inducted into the Circle all those Winters ago and had treasured it dearly. She was not going to lose such a precious memento in the depths of this dank tomb, no matter how cherished the place was in the lore of the Companions.

After a few minutes of relative silence, a curt 'Ah-ha!' caught her attention. Over near the stairway they had entered from, Selene beamed triumphantly with the Huntress' prized dagger in her hand. Aela smiled from across the room, crossing the vast distance between them and exchanged weapons.

The women mutually, but wordlessly, proceeded to the next room. They took a moment to hack down the thick webs coating the entrance and stepped forward, cautiously scanning the room for the arachnal inhabitants.

The walls were covered so thickly in the spiders' silk webs that there was barely any stone to be seen. Even the floor was thickly lined with the sticky nets. Aela lifted her feet warily, proceeding with great care as to not be trapped in the gargantuan insects' domain. Giant, smooth egg sacks littered the room and the Huntress shivered at the sight. There was no telling of how many little arachnids would span from the giant cocoons.

Strangled screeching caught her attention and she snapped her head upwards, spotting three of the giant beasts lowering themselves rapidly from the high ceiling. Selene twirled her newfound weapon eagerly in her grasp as the first, and largest, spider crashed loudly to the floor. Its fellow spiders, which were incredibly smaller in comparison but still quite large on their own, came down just behind it. The Dragonborn ran forward, quickly and efficiently taking care of all three arachnids. Aela rose her eyebrows in surprise, placing a hand on her hip as Selene pulled her sword from the last spider's massive head and shot her a winning smile.

"Looks like you can get through here without my help," Aela said in a mock-hurt voice, prompting the Dragonborn to stick her tongue out playfully at the Huntress. She laughed lightly at the gesture and slowly made her way to the exit of the room when she spotted no more spiders heading for them.

Aela took the liberty of slicing through the heavily matted webs covering the short hallway that lead to the next chamber. She froze immediately as her dagger cut through to the next room, revealing a spider larger than she had ever seen in her life. She knew that the Frostbite Spiders got very large, but by the Divines this thing was huge! The enormous arachnid kept its back turned to the women and the Huntress took a daring step back to avoid detection. She bumped quietly into Selene, flinching at the unexpected contact. The Dragonborn put her finger over her lips in a gesture for the Huntress to be silent. She was happy to comply, mimicking the raven haired woman as they drew bows in unison.

The grace of their combined fluid movements marveled Aela as they both drew back an arrow and aimed at their prey. With a quick glance Selene nodded to her, signaling for them to fire. Both bows produced a different tune as the strings hummed at the release of the arrows. The monstrous spider reeled back on its back set of legs as the projectiles sunk into the soft side of its head. The hulking creature lumbered to face them and Selene drew her ebony sword without hesitation, stuffing her bow in its holster. Aela opted to pull back another shot, preparing to cover the Dragonborn.

Selene leapt through the opening in the webs, charging straight for the area the arrows had struck. These spiders shared the same weak spots as dragons. The thought made Aela smile for a brief second as she compared how similar the situations had been. A gurgling shriek ripped her from her spontaneous nostalgia. The beast was flailing four of its legs wildly through the air with the hilt of Selene's sword plunged deeply within the tender area.

It jerked back violently and pitched forward, falling to the ground in a heap. The legs curled underneath its soft belly as it twitched a few times. Selene approached it as the spider shook a few times before laying still and removed her sword from its head. Frowning, the woman wiped the ebony blade off on the short furs of its hide and left a trail of sickly, creamy-green slime in its wake.

Aela strode up behind her, carefully extracting the arrows and wiping them off as well. She didn't know how many more rooms they would travel through until they finally came to the Flame of the Harbinger. Ammo was precious, and the Huntress was running low. She carefully slipped them into her quiver and made her way around the huge carcass towards Selene, whom was rummaging through an opened chest. Aela rolled her eyes at the woman as she pulled out a sizable coin purse and a few gems, beaming like a small child with a fresh sweetroll. She also procured the torn and dusty form of an aged set of leather armor. Even from a distance, Aela could tell the armor was far too aged to be useful protection in combat and a shopkeeper would more than likely turn their nose up at it. Selene seemed to read her very thoughts as the junk armor fell unceremoniously back into the chest.

Aela walked slowly over to the iron-gated fence, eyeing a small chain dangling from the wall. The switch to make the giant bars rise and free up the path. She breathed slowly from her mouth, wrapping her fingers delicately around the cold iron of the switch. She yanked it down, pleased with the resounding clanging and scraping as the door slid into the archway above.

The Dragonborn hopped off of the raised platform to join her, landing with scarcely a sound. Aela couldn't help raising her eyebrows for the umpteenth time at the woman. She just couldn't believe how easily this woman adapted to her heavy armor and could move so swiftly and silently in it.

Mild astonishment being pushed to the back of her mind, Aela lead them into the next room. It was much smaller than the previous chambers and the spider webs did not reach its walls. The layout was different from the previous areas of the tomb. There were open tombs cut into the earth, displaying the bodies of the mummified warriors for any and all to see. Aela continued her careful breathing through her mouth, knowing the room reeked of decay worse than any of the chambers. The smell was so strong the Huntress could _taste_ the putrid air coating her tongue. She gagged at the wretched sensation and shivered slightly. She had to ignore it.

Just as she pulled back an arrow, two phantoms climbed from their physical bodies displayed along the walls. Both women watched with raised eyebrows at the sight. Actually watching the specters _climbing_ out of their material resting places was a little unsettling. She disposed of the one furthest away before he had the chance to stand fully upright and whipped out another arrow. The Huntress made away with second one just as quickly, pumping her fist discretely as the shot struck true. Selene stood upright when no more specters appeared and Aela copied her, treading lightly across the short room.

She turned to face a wide hallway that led them further down into the crypt. There was a short flight of stairs bending into a sharp turn to the right. The ominous cubbies of corpses littered the walls all the way down. Aela reached back for another arrow and gritted her teeth in frustration. No soft quail feathers tickled the tips of her fingers as she swatted blindly at the empty quiver. Where the hell had all of her arrows gone?

With a sigh, Aela slid the bow gingerly in its holster and grabbed her dagger. It was no longer useful until she could scrounge up a few arrows. They descended the staircase with ease and without interruption, watching the tanned walls curve out into a larger chamber. Two large pillars adorned the center of the room and the Huntress peered around them to see a table on the far side of the area with a body laid across the top of it. She scanned it further, noting there were no foes leaping out at them. She didn't let it quell her suspicions, creeping quietly towards the other side of the room behind the Dragonborn. Selene turned her head to a pile of treasures stacked on the table, curiously making her way over to it. Aela looked through the small archway to their left as Selene rummaged through the loot on the large table. The woman rustled beside her, but Aela paid it no mind.

And then she heard it. The distinct sound of an arrow piercing plate mail and the sharp gasp from the woman beside her. The blood rushed out of her face at the noise, and the world slowed just for her as she turned her head agonizingly slowly. Selene was facing away from the table and was hunched over, the long locks of her raven hair obscuring her face. She moved even slower than the Huntress had, leaning up to reveal an arrow protruding from her chest.

Her silver eyes shot as far open as they could go and her jaw fell on its own accord. Selene had an arrow in her chest. The Dragonborn stared at the feathered fletching of the projectile blankly and fell to her knees in her shock. As the metal plating over her knees scraped loudly against the stone floor, time resumed its normal flow. Aela snarled so fiercely, she could feel the wolf inside of her pushing out. Trying to seize control of the overwhelmed and enraged Huntress. Her eyes burned as she felt them tingle, presumably switching to the amber eyes of a wolf.

The phantom that had shot the Dragonborn was standing alone at the far side of the room, drawing back another shot. A roar tore violently from her throat, matching the ferocity of her beast's deep tones. The ghost staggered back at the fierceness of her growl and she dashed forward. Aela tucked into a hasty roll when it fired at her, missing her by mere inches. As the woman bounded to her feet once more, the dagger found quick residence just underneath the armpit of the warrior. She had been taught at a young age that this was the most vulnerable spot on the human body. If a simple thin rod the size of a straw of hay were correctly stabbed into this area, it caused an immediate death.

It proved to be just as effective with the undead.

As she saw the first bit of energy begining to shoot away from the specter's body, Aela ripped her steel away and bolted back to the Dragonborn. Her eyes darted frantically around for any more enemies and came up empty in their search. The Huntress felt the skin of her knees peeling back against the rough stone floor as she fell beside the Dragonborn, but the pain was non existent as she stared at the heaving woman below her. Selene's face was already covered in a thin coat of sweat and her skin was a sickly pale, contrasting greatly with her hair.

"By Hircine… Selene…" the Huntress whispered lowly, frantically making for the straps of the woman's armor. Depending on how far the arrow had gotten through, she may have to push the shaft out the other side. That way, there would be less of a chance of damaging the Dragonborn's precious organs or the like further. But, it would be much more painful if the arrowhead had not pierced her all the way through.

The thin leather belts that held her bow and quiver to the Dragonborn's body slid off quietly. The straps on her shoulders came undone and fell limply towards the ground. She tugged the layered shoulder pads off carefully, allowing her the freedom to remove the heavy chest plate. Aela grabbed the arrow as close to the armor as she could get as carefully as possible. She didn't want to jar the offensive wound and cause the woman even more pain. She snapped the smooth wood with little effort and cursed when it splintered at the break. Selene let out a short gasp at the motion and moaned in pain, allowing her legs to kick at the agony.

Aela tossed the upper half of the shaft to the side, picking the splintered edges from the half that remained within the chest of the Dragonborn as delicately as possible. She didn't want the wood lodging itself within any of her tendons or muscles. That would cause great problems for her in the future. Selene gasped desperately as the Huntress slowly began to work the chest plate off of the arrow. The Dragonborn cried out when the armor caught the edge of the arrow, yanking it forward in her flesh. She cringed as the shrill echo bounced back at them and finally peeled the mail from the wooden intrusion.

The Huntress bit back a sigh in relief when there was no chainmail underneath the heavy Orcish plate body. She tossed the dented metal to the side, making easy work of tearing the simple white button-up undershirt the Dragonborn wore. Selene hissed as the shirt was ripped open to reveal the blood-circled wound.

Aela coaxed the paling woman to sit upright against the pillar looming nearby, pulling the back plate of her armor off. She frowned at the sight of smooth skin. So it hadn't gotten quite through. The Huntress gently pushed her forward and examined the angle of the arrow. She let out a small sigh in relief as she studied it closely, noting that it would go past the woman's shoulder blades and spine without bumping into either bone. She adjusted Selene to be slumped against the pillar on her shoulder. Selene hissed as she adjusted to comfort, looking at the Huntress with lidded eyes.

"So... have you… ever... done this?" the Dragonborn heaved, gasping as Aela worked at smoothing the broken edge with her dagger. Silver eyes looked up at her sympathetically, glinting in the low torchlight.

"I have. I've tended to many wounds my Shield Siblings have sustained," she said lowly, flicking a splinter away. "I may not know how to use your fancy magick," Aela shot her a playful glare in hope to raise the spirits of the injured woman. "But, I can remove an arrow." Selene smiled wearily at her, wincing as she shifted again.

"Good… I'm glad that I have… you here, then…" she panted breathlessly, gasping as Aela continued to whittle down the arrow. They fell into silence, only hearing the pained gasps and moans from the Dragonborn. Aela managed to get the end down into a smooth nub and she sat back for a moment to examine her work.

Satisfied with the crafted end, she looked up to Selene's pale and sweat streaked face. Cloudy green orbs peeked out at her from under heavily lidded eyes. "You've never had an arrow wound before, have you?" the Huntress asked quietly, earning a slow shake of the raven haired woman's head. She sighed, grabbing Selene's arm and pulling it forward. "Lean forward like this. Pull your shoulder blade away from your spine," Aela said as she guided her arm into the correct position. The wider the gap in between the bones, the better.

"I'm going to have to shove the arrow the rest of the way through. I can't pull it out without injuring you more," Selene gave her a slow nod in understanding and swallowed hard. She casted her gaze to the Huntress' knees as Aela readied herself. She grasped the base of the arrow with two fingers to hold it steady and held her palm out to strike the end. She pulled back a few times to line up the best shot and looked at the woman above her.

"On the count of three, alright?" she asked and Selene nodded again. Aela licked her lips, drawing her arm back.

"One…" she thrusted forward, slamming her palm into the end of the shaft and catching the Dragonborn off guard. Selene let out a strangled scream as the arrow tore through her muscles with a few sickening fleshy cracks and pops. Aela nearly jumped over the woman and reached over her shoulder to grasp the tip of the arrow, wrenching it out of her.

"Ngh, fuck!" Selene swore as she fell back against the stone pillar and gasped desperately for air. The Huntress tossed the bloodied arrow to the side, glancing over to see the raven haired woman call upon her magick, hastily slamming her palm onto her chest with a hiss. Unlike whenever she healed someone else with her strange spells, orange and yellow lights swarmed her entire body. Tendrils of energy twirled wildly around her arm that held out the spell and snaked across her flesh. Aela sat back for a moment, remembering how very similar it looked to the woman absorbing a dragon's soul.

Her choppy breathing evened out and the wound slowly disappeared as the magick did its wonders. Selene's hand fell limply to her side, the plate mail covering her gauntlet clanging loudly as it smacked the floor and her head fell back against the pillar. The Dragonborn let out a deep sigh, shutting her eyes in exhaustion. Color gradually seeped back into her cheeks and washed away the Huntress' worries.

"Are you alright?" Aela asked softly, scooting a little closer to examine the flesh where the arrow once protruded from her. It was all neatly stitched back together and a small pink button of color blemished the woman's chest. Selene nodded hastily, cracking her eyes to look down at her blood-streaked chest.

"I'm fine. Thank you, Aela." She breathed, laying her head against the pillar once more. Her emerald gaze rolled lazily to the Huntress and she gave a weak smile. "You mind if we rest for a minute here?"

"Not at all," Aela responded with a smile of her own, painfully getting off of her knees. The skin was scraped lightly and blood was trickling slowly out of the wound. She winced. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to crash onto them in such an area. Selene raised a dark eyebrow at her, plucking a tiny blue bottle from her belt that was identical to the one she had used earlier. She wrinkled her nose in disgust and clicked her tongue at the vile aftertaste of the potion. The Dragonborn sat up with a groan, shifting to face the Huntress.

A ball of light bounced on her palm and she extended her hand to the woman's injured knees. "It's not that big of a deal…" Aela mumbled, prompting a chuckle from the woman opposite.

"It's the least I can do," she said back, healing the minor abrasions in a timely manner. Selene fell back against the pillar when she was complete with her task, huffing as her chest rose in fell in jerky breaths. Aela shuffled even closer to her, brushing some of the raven hair out of her face on impulse.

"You didn't have to," she said as she hovered over the exhausted woman. Her tired emerald eyes slid over to the Huntress and a smile blossomed across her lips.

"You worry too much, Aela. I'm happy to help," Selene whispered back, pushing herself up against the stone. Aela gave her a gentle smile, cupping the side of her face.

"You've saved my sorry ass plenty of times. You shouldn't exert yourself over a little scrape on my knee," Selene looked up at her, lowering her eyebrows to grow a dangerous grin.

"Then perhaps you could return the favor."

Their eyes locked for the briefest of moments before the Dragonborn's magnetic pull dragged her closer to those lips she coveted. She flicked her sliver eyes down to the plump flesh, running her tongue across her own lips. The emerald orbs flickering back at her whispered with silent urgency, begging the Huntress to dip down just a bit further.

And so she did.

Aela moaned when their lips ground softly together, slipping her hands to grasp the back of Selene's head and neck. The Dragonborn snaked an arm to her waist, tugging the crimson haired woman closer. Aela complied, throwing a leg over the woman to straddle her waist. They both let out a moan at the contact and Selene wrapped both arms firmly around the Huntress' waist, pulling her ever nearer.

The raven haired woman pushed harder against her mouth, coaxing a response from Aela, who was more than happy to oblige. The Huntress molded her body into the other woman tightly as she worked her lips in harmony with the Dragonborn's. Selene's hands trailed up her exposed back, leaving little Goosebumps in their wake. Aela shuddered at the sensation, running her hands through Selene's long locks of hair.

Gods, Talos, sweet lady Mara above and Hircine below. Kissing this woman felt so _good. _ So _right_.

She allowed her right hand to drop from the woman's hair, traveling down to scrape lightly over the Dragonborn's creamy skin. Selene growled, biting the Huntress' bottom lip. Aela gasped at the roughness of the bite, returning the growl and deepening the kiss.

She smiled against Selene's tender lips wryly. She never would have thought fate would lead her here. Sitting in a tomb on top of a woman more beautiful than all of the goddesses above, kissing her passionately after driving an arrow out of her chest. The Huntress resisted to shake her head and laugh. Wherever fate decided to take her, so be it. If there was more of this amazing and enthralling woman destined to be in her future, then she welcomed it with open arms.

Selene broke this kiss, panting and pulling Aela closer. The Huntress lowered her head, pressing their foreheads lightly together. The ragged breaths of the Dragonborn fanned hotly across her cheeks. She let out a few choppy breaths herself, brushing their noses together as she stole a light kiss.

Aela felt incredible. Her gut was burning pleasantly, yearning for more of the woman below her. Adrenaline pumped furiously through her veins, making every inch of her skin tingle with sensitivity. Her eyebrows knitted together as she realized the importance of their mission here. This would have to wait for another time. She stole another swift kiss from the Dragonborn before leaning back and drawing in a deep breath. The Huntress opened her eyes slowly to peer into the dark forest eyes below her.

"We need to get moving," Aela murmured, running a hand down Selene's perfectly sculpted jaw-line. The Dragonborn reluctantly nodded and sighed, tightening her grip around her waist. She smiled down at her, stealing another kiss and pushing herself up with a groan. She really didn't want to part with the intoxicating lips and touches of the other woman. But, there was a job to be done.

Aela swooped down to snag the white cotton shirt off of the floor, shaking it lightly to knock off some dirt that had gathered on it. She passed it to Selene and the woman accepted it, pushing herself off of the ground and throwing the cloth around her shoulders. The Huntress bent down beside the discarded plate mail, fingering the sharp edges with a frown. The serrated edges around the small hole the arrow had made curved inwards slightly. It would more than likely tear at Selene's flesh if she wore it in this condition.

She glanced around until her eyes stopped on small hammer at the back of the table, hidden by the shadows of the urns looming above it. A pleased smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth as she stood, striding over and picking up the tool. She rolled the handle in between her palms a few times while biting her lip in contemplation. It certainly wasn't the best hammer to use for repairing armor, but it would have to do.

Aela pivoted smoothly on her heels, walking back to the discarded breast plate and catching the Dragonborn's eye. Selene stood next to the pillar, fiddling with the uppermost button on her loose-fit shirt. Blood caked the front of the material, still glistening with the crimson moisture. She dropped her gloved hand from the button and walked the short distance between them. Her gaze flickered between the Huntress' face and the little hammer she held. A dark eyebrow curved upwards as Aela crouched beside the metal once again.

"We can't have this tearing at your skin," she said, fingering the offensive metal. "I can at least bend it back into place for a quick-fix." Selene nodded in approval to her and crossed her arms. Aela drew back, bringing the little hammer down hard on the bent metal. The green breastplate slowly gave in to her meticulous strikes and the edges of the abrasion curled neatly together.

Aela dropped the hammer at her side, picking up the chest plate and examining her work. She scanned at the temporary fix, standing to face the Dragonborn. Selene grasped the edges of the armor, plucking it from Aela's grip and studying the blemished metal.

"You have a lot of talents, Miss Huntress," Selene smirked as her eyes drifted up to the other woman. Aela wiggled her painted eyebrows back at her with a smug grin and sauntered behind her. She snatched up the Dragonborn's discarded back plate and pushed the metal against her back. Selene mimicked her, quickly fastening the straps on her shoulders. Aela took to fastening the small belts on her sides and together, they made quick work of re-fitting the Dragonborn.

Selene glanced at the Huntress' empty quiver as she adjusted one of her shoulder pads with a frown. She looked down to her own steel arrows, pulling the leather tight and bending down to grab a handful of the fletched projectiles. The Dragonborn turned back to Aela and extended the small bundle to her. She accepted them gratefully, sliding all but one tip down quietly into her quiver.

Aela slid out her bow and readied a shot, keeping the string loose and pointed towards the ground as her Shield Sister pulled out her sword. The raven haired woman led them down the grand corridor until it abruptly ended at a large wooden door. Selene gripped the handle with her free hand, prying open the metal to reveal the other side.

The first thing that caught the Huntress' attention within the vast chamber was a small brazier directly in the middle of the room. The fire burned blue and a lone specter stood before it, holding their hands near the warmth of the flame. Aela's bowstring came back quickly, immediately aiming at the single foe.

"Wait," the Dragonborn whispered, placing her hand on the Huntress' arm. Her silver eyes broke away from her prey to look quizzically at the woman beside her. Selene opened her mouth to continue, but a gruff and booming voice cut her off. A voice that made her heart nearly leapt out of her chest and her head whip back to the specter next to the brazier.

"Greetings, Shield Sisters. I'm glad you've come." A small gasp left the Huntress as he spoke. She knew their mission was to purge his spirit, but she hadn't expected to face the late Harbinger. The corners of her lips slowly curled upwards as she released the tension of her bow and stepped forward.

"Kodlak…"


	11. Defeating the Beast

**Hey lookie there! I'm back!**

**First off. NO. THIS IS NOT BEING ABANDONDED. I'm just incredibly busy lately.**

**But you came blame redchillismoke for the majority of the delays ;D**

**Regaurdless, do enjoy this short installment. And review. Don't forget that shit :D**

Kodlak gave them a warm smile, continuing to hold his hands over the blue flames. They curled around his scarred hands in wisps, giving the late Harbinger an even more ethereal appearance.

"Kodlak… is that really you?" Selene whispered. The Dragonborn took a few steps towards the specter.

"Of course. My fellow Harbingers and I have been warming ourselves here. Trying to evade Hircine." The raven haired woman moved closer while glancing around. Her eyebrows knitted together as she scanned the room.

"But there's nobody else here," she whispered, coming to a stop before the man. Kodlak turned his head to observe the room as well, letting out a sigh.

"You see only me because your heart knows only me as the Companions leader," he let out a small chuckle. "I'd wager old Vignar could see half a dozen of my predecessors. And I see them all. The ones in Sovngarde. The ones trapped with me in Hircine's realm." His eyes locked with the Dragonborn's. The woman suppressed a shiver at the unnatural depth of his piercing blue orbs. She swallowed hard as he continued. "And they all see you. You've brought honor to the name of the Companions. We won't soon forget it."

Aela made her way towards the two as Selene stared blankly at the late Harbinger. "Vilkas said you can still be cured," she said, prompting him to turn his head with a smile.

"Did he now? I can only hope." Kodlak whispered to her, glancing at the small bag attached to Selene's belt. Though his face was distorted from his ghostly appearance, the Huntress could see his eyebrows rise in astonishment.

"You still have the witches' heads?" he said breathlessly. Selene nodded slowly, untying the small knot that held the bag to her belt. "Excellent! Throw one of them into the fire. It will release their magic, for me at least." The Dragonborn nodded again and stepped towards the cerulean brazier. Aela watched with piqued interest as the woman pulled a sickly looking head from the bag and tossed it into the fire. The brazier roared violently as the flesh began to burn, producing a putrid smell that permeated the room and made the women gag.

Kodlak pitched forward with a pained grunt, clutching at his sides as his translucent body began to give off a crimson aura. He fell to his knees, screaming out and lurching forward.

"Kodlak!" Selene shouted as she made to run to his side, only to be stopped by a firm grip around her wrist. She shot Aela an incredulous look over her shoulder and the Huntress shook her head.

"Don't go near him! He's separating from his wolf spirit," she managed to yell over Kodlak's pained howls. The Dragonborn's jaw clenched before she tore her gaze away and looked back to the specter writhing on the ground. The red aura burning around him flashed brilliantly and the women gasped as it shot away from him, crashing to the floor. Kodlak's wolf stared down at them hungrily, licking its enormous crimson fangs as it scanned the prey before him.

Aela's lips curled back in a fierce snarl as she called upon her Beast Blood, trading her skins within the blink of an eye. She stood upright as a wolf and bellowed at the spectral beast before her. It roared back just as viciously, raking its claws against the stone and bounding at her. Aela leapt forward, colliding with the beast in a blur of gnashing fangs and flashing claws.

Selene bit her lip as she whipped out an arrow and stared down the shaft, stepping back quickly to avoid being crushed by the battling wolves. The beasts exchanged blows with blinding speed and the Dragonborn was having difficulty lining up a good shot. After recently pulling an arrow out of her own chest she didn't want to have to do the same for the Huntress.

Aela managed to grab hold of the beast's massive head, twisting it swiftly in an attempt to snap its neck. However, the specter was only thrown onto its back from her powerful attack.

Well, it was worth a shot.

The Huntress wasted no time in swooping down at the exposed tender neck of her prey. A growl rippled in her throat as she sunk her fangs deep into the glowing flesh before her. Ectoplasm shot into her mouth and she gagged, reeling away from the fallen specter with a howl. The werewolf stumbled backwards, coughing and retching as she fell to the ground.

"Aela!" Selene gasped as she ran to the heaving Huntress, stopping a few inches from her Shield Sister. The giant wolf emptied her stomach onto the floor, shaking her massive head with a snort and leaning back on her hind haunches. The Dragonborn locked eyes with Aela, concern dancing behind her emerald gaze. The werewolf let out a low whimper and nudged Selene's forearm with her muzzle. A simple sign she was alright. The woman smiled in understanding, slowly running a hand up the wolf's snout.

A pained moan caught the pair's attention and they snapped their heads towards the brazier. Kodlak was on his back, writhing on the cold stone. They exchanged a quick glance before bounding over to him. Selene reached his side first, falling to her knees beside the late Harbinger.

"Kodlak…" She whispered as his spectral eyes slowly opened and the pained expression on his face vanished. He gave her a weak smile before sitting up, rubbing the back of his head tenderly. "We've killed your beast spirit." Kodlak's smile grew as he looked between the Dragonborn and the werewolf.

"And so slain the beast inside of me," the late Harbinger said, relief dripping from his words. He pushed himself off the ground and left out a weary sigh. "I thank you for this gift. The other Harbingers remain trapped by Hircine, though. Perhaps from Sovngarde, the heroes of old can join me in their rescue. The Harrowing of the Hunting Grounds. It would be a battle of such triumph." He looked to Selene with a thoughtful smile as she pushed herself up to stand. "And perhaps someday, you'll join us in that battle. But for today, return to Jorrvaskr. Triumph in your victory."

Kodlak turned away from them, facing the grand tomb in the middle of the room. "And lead the Companions to further glory," he whispered, taking a step forward and vanishing to the void. Selene let out a tired sigh, running a hand through her hair and glancing at the Huntress. The werewolf's amber eyes were locked into place where the specter had disappeared. The haunting ochre shone with grief and Aela whimpered lowly, turning away from the brazier. Both Kodlak and Skjor had been like fathers to her. And like her true blooded parents, they too were now gone. She pinned her ears back and looked to the cold stone of the ground. The Huntress took in a deep breath, shutting her eyes and pushing her wolf spirit into the back of her mind.

Aela stared at her nails as the last of her transformation took place and her claws disappeared. She let out a sigh, running a hand through her hair. It was over. This horrible chapter in the Companions had finally come to an end.

"Are you alright?" Selene asked quietly, walking behind the Huntress. The crimson haired woman kept her gaze on the stone below, nodding ever so slightly in response. The Dragonborn moved in front of her, placing a gentle hand under her chin to guide her gaze to the concerned emerald eyes above. Aela looked to her with a faint smile, forcing her sorrow into the darkest reaches of her mind.

"So, he made you Harbinger," Aela said, quickly changing the subject. Selene sighed, glancing around the vast chamber.

"That he did," the Dragonborn replied, scratching at her chin thoughtfully. "I'm not sure if I agree with his decision." Aela cocked an eyebrow at the woman.

"Why not?"

"I'm the Dragonborn, Aela. My duties require me to travel all over the land. I can't stay restricted to the walls of Jorrvaskr, no matter how much love I hold for my Shield Siblings." The Huntress placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling broadly at the woman.

"Is that all you're worried about?" She asked and Selene nodded in response. Aela let out a small chuckle. "Don't let that bother you, Selene. No Brother or Sister is bound to the walls of Jorrvaskr. Certainly not the Harbinger. Yes, our Shield Siblings will look to you for guidance and your wisdom, but you are never restricted to our glorious mead hall," she moved her hand to cup the Dragonborn's cheek and leaned forward to steal a kiss. "You may roam the land as much as you please. The rest of the Circle will maintain balance in the hall." Selene smiled as she finished, relief beaming from her emerald eyes.

"That's a relief," the raven haired woman whispered, wrapping her arms around Aela's waist. "And it leads me to another matter. I received word that I am needed in Riften. I must leave immediately." The Huntress's silver eyes fell as she spoke, disappointment evident in her orbs. Selene leaned forward, rubbing their noses together. Aela looked back up to the Dragonborn sadly. "I was hoping that you would accompany me." Her smile immediately returned as their lips met once more.

"I would be happy to," the Huntress replied, wrapping her arms around her neck and squeezing lightly. Selene let out a small laugh, looking towards a small doorway above them.

"I'm glad that you will. Now come, let's get the hell out of here."

* * *

The door shut softly behind her and Aela took a deep breath. The scent of roasted meat and freshly baked bread pleasantly drifted into her nose. She sighed contently, glancing around the small living area. The shelves of Breezehome were neatly stacked with books and assorted foods, giving it a tranquil appearance.

To be honest, Aela was expecting the Dragonborn's house to be decorated with dragon heads and various weapons.

Selene stretched widely with a yawn, making her way to the staircase at the back of the room. Footsteps resounded from above and a pair of steel boot appeared at the top of the stairs. Aela wrinkled her nose at the scent of the housecarl. She had forgotten the woman resided here as well.

"Honored to see you again, my Thane." Lydia said from above as Selene made her way up the steps. The Dragonborn stopped as she reached the brunette, whispering to her. Aela furrowed her brows as she strained her ears to hear the women, but to no avail. Selene disappeared to the right and Lydia made her way to the first floor of the home.

As soon as the housecarl's cloudy-blue eyes appeared from behind the top floor, a glare washed over the stoic woman's face. The Huntress scowled in return, anger flaring within her. She really disliked this woman.

"Lydia," she said stiffly in mock-recognition.

"Aela," The brunette responded just as sourly. The Huntress felt her blood boil at the returned resentment. "My Thane has asked that I treat you with respect during our journey to Riften, but don't think this means I like you in the slightest," Lydia growled as she rounded the corner, making her way to a hidden room beneath the stairwell.

Aela felt the hair on the back of her neck bristle in irritation. Selene meant to bring her with them? She glowered at the back of the woman's head and crossed her arms with an angry huff. She made her way over to one of the chairs surrounding the cooking fire, unceremoniously dropping herself into the seat. The small fire flickered weakly around the little amount of wood remaining in the pit. The fire danced faintly, giving off serene warmth that soothed the Huntress' chilled skin. She allowed her eyelids to droop lazily as she sat there, staring blankly at the orange flames.

"Comfortable?" Selene asked quietly from behind the redhead, startling the woman. Aela turned her head to the Dragonborn with a smile.

"Very." She replied with a stifled yawn, stretching widely and pushing herself from the old wooden chair to face Selene. The black haired woman gave her a sweet smile in return, brushing her fingertips gently across the faded war paint on the Huntress' right cheek.

"Are you ready?" The Dragonborn asked as her fingers reached Aela's chin, dropping her hand to caress the back of her neck. Aela groaned softly as Selene massaged the tender flesh in delicate circles. The redhead's eyelids sank once again at the contact and she managed to mumble a 'yes' in response.

The loud thumping of steel against wood rang throughout the small house. Aela groaned again as she opened her eyes, spying the housecarl reappearing from the room beneath the stairwell with a small sack in her grasp. Selene dropped her hand and turned towards Lydia, glancing at the bundle she carried.

"I have gathered the supplies you require, my Thane," she said dryly as she made her way to the pair. Aela suppressed the urge to snarl at her as Lydia came to a stop beside the Dragonborn.

"Thank you, Lydia. We should get moving at once. We have little time to waste." Selene stated as she looked between them. She sighed as the other women glared dangerously at one another. As the Dragonborn moved to step away from them, Aela caught her arm.

"Hold on a moment," the Huntress whispered, her silver eyes dancing mischievously at her. Selene's eyebrows shot up at the intensity of the stare. Aela smirked evilly, grabbing the back of her neck and smashing their lips together. The Dragonborn quickly melded at the contact and returned the fervent kiss.

Aela pulled away suddenly, her devilish smirk still curling the edge of her lips as she turned and made her way to the door. She turned back around as she reached the threshold, glancing to the brunette.

The housecarl was glaring furiously at her. _Again._


	12. The Road to Riften

**Well would you look at that. Chapter twelve! Please enjoy responsibly.**

**And I still blame redchillismoke for the delays. All her fault ;D**

Her boots were soaked and her feet ached terribly.

Selene groaned loudly as she misjudged the depth of a mud puddle, sinking calf-deep into the thick earth. This wasn't the first time this had happened and the Dragonborn was getting tired of wrenching herself free of the deceptively small patches of muck. She heaved her boot from the mud with a grunt and gave her foot a feeble shake to kick of the debris clinging to the green metal.

This journey was taking a little longer than she had expected.

A storm had unexpectedly rolled in not even an hour after they had departed from Whiterun. The night was already slowing them down due to Lydia, who did not share the Dragonborn and Huntress' enhanced vision and required a torch for travel. Thankfully though, the rain had let up after a few hours and the skies were beginning to clear, allowing the soft light of the moons to guide them.

Selene looked over her shoulders as one of her companions drew near. Aela trudged up to her side, taking a glance at the housecarl several steps away.

"We should make camp for the night. Lydia is falling behind," Aela huffed as she came to a stop. Selene rolled her throbbing shoulders slowly with a sigh. The Huntress was right. Lydia had been trailing behind the wolves rather slowly. She really couldn't blame the housecarl. Lydia was, after all, a mere human. She hadn't forgotten how quickly a normal person fatigued in rocky, hilly terrain such as this. Especially suited in full armor. Full, _soaking wet_ armor.

"Good idea," she replied, watching Lydia huff up the small incline towards them. The poor housecarl's face was beaming red from her strain and hours of travel. Selene wiggled her toes within her boots, noting they were freezing, aching, and stiff. She wouldn't mind a break herself. "I think it's time we set up camp," the Dragonborn sighed as the wheezing brunette labored up to them. Lydia nodded once in recognition, reaching for the tent roll strapped to her back. Selene grabbed her arm, stopping her. She moved behind the tired housecarl and unfastened the straps binding the material to the woman.

"My Thane…" Lydia started, but Selene cut her off with a soft hiss.

"You're exhausted, Lydia. I can put up a measly tent." Selene mumbled as she pulled the bundle free from her shoulders. The housecarl made to protest as Selene walked in front of her, but shut her mouth as the Dragonborn began walking towards the thin tree line. Aela followed quietly, dragging her boots in the soft dirt behind her. The Huntress was admittedly a little tired, but honestly thought they could cover a little more ground before setting up camp.

But with that infuriating housecarl slowing them down, they had no choice lest the woman keel over.

Aela crouched down beside Selene, silently assisting the woman to raise the tent. The pair quietly worked in unison to prepare the temporary shelter. In no time, the small tent was raised and the women stepped back to examine their work. The Dragonborn looked around at the potential kindling surrounding them on the forest floor. Aela raised an eyebrow at her as she realized the woman's intentions.

"With as much as it has rained, it's unlikely that we could start a fire here," she stated, glimpsing the soaked foliage. Selene turned her head with a smirk, raising a hand as a ball of fire erupted from her palm. The Huntress shook her head with a small laugh. Of course. Magick.

Together, they again worked in silence to collect a few bundles of kindling and ample firewood. When they were satisfied with the amount of tinder, Aela worked on neatly stacking the small sticks and logs. Selene observed quietly, waiting for the Huntress to finish. After she threw the last log onto the top of the stack, the redhead stepped back. The Dragonborn loudly cracked her knuckles and began to spray the wet pile of logs with flames. The timber quickly caught fire and popped loudly as the water began to evaporate from the wood.

Selene walked over to the small satchel she had been carrying and rummaged through it, procuring a few slabs of salted meat wrapped in thin deer hide. She walked to a nearby tree, snapping three lengthy limbs from the trunk and tossed them to Aela. The Huntress pulled out her dagger and immediately worked to whittling them down to smooth, pointed sticks. As she finished, Selene walked over to her and slid the venison onto the spears. With a piece of meat carefully woven onto each sharpened branch, the Dragonborn took one for herself and extended the last towards Lydia. The exhausted housecarl pushed herself from the tree she had been sitting against and trudged over to the fire. She sat down heavily beside Selene and tilted the skewer to the flames.

The women all remained quiet whilst cooking and eating their respective meals. Aela was the first to finish, stretching widely and tossing her spear into the fire with a yawn. The other women weren't far behind, also throwing their spears into the dwindling camp fire.

The Dragonborn glanced at her loyal housecarl, sighing as she examined the woman's face. Dark circles lined the undersides of her eyes and her cloudy-blue irises were barely visible under their lids. "Lydia, go on and get some rest," she said quietly. Lydia turned her head slightly, giving her a weary nod as she rose. Selene was relieved the housecarl wasn't going to protest. The brunette's steel armor clinked softly as she made her way into the small tent and disappeared behind the flap. Selene turned to face Aela, who was staring blankly at the dwindling fire. The Huntress fidgeted uneasily, trying to dislodge rock that was unpleasantly digging into her ankle.

"Why do you dislike Lydia so much?" The question was so unexpected that Aela cracked her neck as she whipped around to face the Dragonborn. Ever-haunting emerald stared back at her so intensely it almost made her shiver.

"I think she hated me first," Aela responded with a hollow chuckle, looking back to the fire. Selene cleared her throat and shuffled beside her.

"That doesn't answer my question. I remember well what happened in your bedchambers at Jorrvaskr, but you two were glaring daggers through each other before that." The Huntress raised her eyebrows in surprise. She hadn't realized the woman had been awake to see them glaring at each other.

"We… didn't exactly make good first impressions on each other," the redhead said slowly, chewing the inside of her lip. "I don't think your housecarl is too terribly trusting." Selene sniggered at the comment and tossed a small chip of wood into the flames.

"No, that she isn't," she replied, tilting her chin to the sky. The black haired woman blinked at the stars for a few moments before looking back down to her Shield Sister. "That reminds me. You never did tell me what that nightmare was about."

Aela furrowed her eyebrows together at the woman. "Why does it matter?" she practically growled. The Dragonborn sighed, dropping her head down to look at her feet.

"Because you almost exposed yourself to Lydia. What do you think would have happened if you had fully transformed? There could have been a very bloody ending for someone if you had." The women glanced at each other as Selene pursed her lips, her eyes scanning the Huntress up and down quickly. "And I know it had something to do with your father. I would like to know more about your life, Aela." The Dragonborn reached over, tenderly grasping Aela's hand and staring softly at their interlocked fingers. "That is… If you will let me."

Aela slowly met Selene's gaze once again. There were very few people that the Huntress had encountered throughout her lifetime that knew her past. She didn't like people knowing the haunting memories that shadowed her mind. Hardship demands pity, and Aela was not one for accepting it. However, Selene was different from other people. Selene would not pity her for the misfortunes that had befallen her. At least, she hoped not. Aela drew in a deep breath and glanced at their joined hands.

"What do you want to know?" Aela asked quietly. She inwardly rolled her eyes at herself. It was obvious as to what Selene wanted to know. But, it couldn't hurt to try and wiggle her way out of some of the story…

"What exactly happened in your dream? If you don't mind telling me, I would like to know everything."

Dammit.

Aela turned to the fire, tilting her head to the distant sky. "Me and my father were out hunting. Following a fresh trail from a bleeding buck he had recently wounded when we he told me to hide. I was only a little girl, so I blindly obeyed. I had no idea what was going on, but I was terrified." The Huntress looked back down to her mud-covered boots, flicking a chunk of the slightly dried dirt from the furs. "I hid in a small foxhole nearby just before several men ran out of the woods and attacked him. I could do nothing but watch as they murdered him and stole everything they could from his body." Aela sighed, nibbling the inside of her cheek.

"Who were they?" Selene asked as she finished. Aela furrowed her brows as the images of deer-skull helmets flashed behind her eyes.

"The Forsworn." Aela replied, gritting her teeth as the Dragonborn attempted to hide a gasp. _Filthy bastards…_

"How did you escape?" The black haired woman asked quietly after the Huntress remained quiet for a few moments. Silver met emerald in a crestfallen stare.

"I didn't."

_She clutched tighter to the shredded rags that once resembled her small brown tunic hanging uselessly from her shoulders, shivering as the booming voices of her captors grew louder. A few tears streaked down her dirty cheeks, falling to the cold earth below her. Aela whimpered silently to herself and glanced around the tiny pit that had become her tomb. She wasn't sure how long she had been held captive by these barbarians. Days became weeks. Weeks became days. Time was a furious blur in this hellish prison. _

_She was woken every day by the intoxicated men wearing strange animal skins. They beat her, ridiculed her, shamed her, and made the little Nord their personal, unwilling jester. When they were finally so full of mead that most of them had passed out, Aela was chucked back into the small hole she had come to embrace as her refuge. She barely had enough time to calm her tears and catch a few measly hours of sleep before the drunken men's faces appeared around the rim of the ditch and it all started again._

_Aela gasped as their shadows cloaked her shaking form. Tears rolled faster down her face as a rough and calloused hand grasped the front of her measly tunic, ripping her from her sanctuary. She was thrown harshly to the ground and kicked several times. Deep laughter rang in her ears as their cold boots dug into her ribs. Despite the pain, she did not scream. She did not yelp or cry out. Aela had learned that showing them that they were indeed hurting her only made the beating worse. So, the little Nord bit her tongue as they continued to kick and jeer._

_The men quickly grew bored with their assault when she showed no signs of pain and began to curse her. The shortest man of the group grabbed a handful of her crimson hair, dragging her to a nearby tent. Once inside, Aela was thrown into a corner of the expansive tent and the men who brought her there disappeared into the large crowd. Bards sang loudly from the other side of the dwelling, delicious aromas of roasted meat and breads wafted lazily in the air, and laughter rang within the deerskin walls. It was another normal day with the strange and cruel barbarians that held her prisoner. Aela hugged herself tightly, glancing around at the blurred faces. She silently thanked the Gods for a moment of peace for once. Normally, another group of savages would immediately pick her up and begin their twisted punishments._

_However, she sat there for several moments undisturbed. Tiny silver orbs scanned the faces of her captors skeptically. None of them were even looking at her. She stole a glimpse at a small table beside her next to the door, filled with various fruits and meats. She glanced back at the tables packed with people. They still paid her no mind. Her stomach let out a painful rumble. Slowly, the girl sidled over to the edge of the table while keeping her eyes trained on the men and woman boisterously laughing and shouting at one another. Her back bumped one of the legs and she snaked her hand upwards, grabbing the first thing to touch her palm and snatched it back down, immediately hiding it behind her back. _

_She moved carefully back to her original spot, thankfully remaining undetected. With a small smile, she peeked at the tiny morsel she had snatched. A cheese wedge. Her smiled broadened as she examined the size of her prize. Whoever had sliced this piece had been overly generous on the portion. Aela turned her back to the group of people and devoured her prize. The tiny rations she was given daily were barely enough to sustain her. This small wedge of cheese was a blessing for the girl._

_The little Nord licked her lips as she savored the last bite, glancing over her shoulder to the group of men and women. They still paid her no mind. She was glad. This little meal was certainly needed. She leaned against the support beam behind her with a pleased sigh, rubbing her full belly tenderly. Aela closed her eyes slowly. Perhaps they would leave her alone today. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep…_

…_And woke to screams of terror._

_Aela jolted upright from her perch against the pole, her silver eyes snapping open and scanning the room frantically. The strange men and women were running towards the entrance and brandishing their unusual bone weapons. What in Nirn was going on? She jumped to her feet, dashing to the table she had snagged her lunch from and crawling underneath it. All of the thugs were gone. People were screaming from outside. The echoes of battle reverberated against the thin walls of the tent and sent shivers up her spine. Aela was growing increasingly curious as to what was taking place outside, but knew she should stay here. _

_Minutes crept by as she crouched there, listening to the fading clanging of steel. Who was fighting her captors? Who was winning? And more importantly- were they friend or foe? The girl began to shiver as she thought of the possibilities. It could very well be someone worse than the cruel people that currently detained her. Aela swallowed hard, pushing against a barrel beside the low table she was under. Gradually, the yells faded and silence permeated the air._

_Aela remained there, terrified. She could hear boots thumping against the soft dirt outside the tent and approaching the entrance. She hugged her knees to her chest as they drew closer and closer. She bit her lip in anticipation, gasping as the flap of the tent flung open._

_The sight of the woman that walked inside nearly made her cry in relief. _

_The woman bore a familiar purple and blue set of light armor that Aela instantly recognized. She was a Stormcloak. The woman glanced around the large tent, gasping as she spotted the young girl under the table. _

"_By the Gods!" she screamed, dashing over to Aela. The woman ripped off her helmet as her knees hit the ground and tossed it to the side. "Are you alright, child?" she asked softly, concern radiating from her eyes. The girl shook her head. An honest answer. The soldier extended her hand slowly to Aela._

"_It's alright now, child. I'm with the Stormcloaks. We're here to help you," she whispered to her with a smile. The little Nord shimmied out from under the table and took her hand with her own smile. Her Father had spoken highly of the Stormcloaks. She knew she could trust them._

_As the woman's hand enveloped her own, Aela turned to face the table she had sought refuge under. Quickly scanning the table's contents, she snatched up the largest piece of venison she saw and clutched it to her chest. As she turned, the Soldier raised an eyebrow at her, still bearing her broad and warm smile._

"_I'm sorry ma'am, I'm hungry." _


End file.
